One of your most basic rights at work is a safe, healthy workplace that you can arrive to and safely leave every day.
Yet, thousands of your brothers and sisters in the labor movement are denied that right every year when they die or become seriously injured or ill on the job.
On April 28, CSEA, other unions and workers across the world will again observe Workers’ Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and fighting to prevent any more worker deaths.
In 2013, the latest year available, 4,585 American workers were killed doing their jobs, according to the AFL-CIO’s 2015 “Death on the Job” report.
Since Workers’ Memorial Day 2014, six of our CSEA brothers are sadly among the thousands of fallen workers: George Grumbach, Jarred Newallo, Christopher Polomcean, Eric Rattinger, Tonny Teskera and Adam Burgess.
They weren’t just workers or CSEA members; they were parents, children, spouses, friends, siblings who were treasured by their loved ones. They were also active members of their communities.
These people died doing their jobs; providing essential public services to their communities. Their deaths were also preventable.
While we will highlight these six men at our Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony at the Statewide Conference on Occupational Safety and Health, we will remember all the people, CSEA members and others, who have died or become seriously injured on the job.
We will also vow to make our employers accountable to all the people who work for them, as well as those who get essential services at our work sites.
It is more important than ever to fight to ensure that corners are never cut when it comes to safety and health. It’s time for all of us to step up and fight toward the day when we are all safe at work. We need to stand strong together to help put an end to preventable deaths and injuries.
