DES MOINES, IOWA (April 23, 2019) — On April 28, the unions of the AFL-CIO observe Workers Memorial Day to remember those who have suffered and died on the job and to renew the fight for safe jobs.  

This year, we will come together to call for action on hazards that cause unnecessary injury, illness, and death. We will stand united against the ongoing attacks on workers' rights and protections and demand that elected officials put workers' well-being above corporate interests.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act and Mine Safety and Health Act promise workers the right to a safe job. Unions and our allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality — winning protections that have made jobs safer, saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and prevented millions of workplace injuries and illnesses.

But our work is not done. Each year, thousands of workers are killed and millions more suffer injury or illness because of their jobs.

After years of struggle, we won new rules to protect workers from deadly silica dust and beryllium, a stronger coal-dust standard for miners, and stronger anti-retaliation protections for workers who report job-injuries.

These hard-won gains are threatened. The Trump administration has carried out an all-out assault on regulations, targeting job-safety rules on beryllium, mine-examinations, injury-reporting, and child-labor protections. The labor movement and allies have fought back and blocked some of these attacks. However, this assault has taken a toll: Key protections have been repealed or rolled back and agency budgets and staff have been cut. There has been no action on critical safety and health problems like workplace violence, silica in mining and exposure to toxic chemicals.

April 26: Friday —

Bettendorf: 11:30AM. USW Local 105 Union Hall, 880 Devils Glen Road. Contact financialsec105@gmail.com. 563-355-1181. USW Local 105, IBEW 1379, and Arconic Davenport Works Leadership invite Quad Cities working families. Lunch will be served after the service.

Dubuque: 5:30PM. Dubuque Labor Temple, 1610 Garfield Ave. Contact Pete Hird, 563-212-1529. dubuquelabor@gmail.com. Making appearances will be UAW Color Guard, Dubuque Fire Fife and Drums, Councilwoman Kate Larson, Iowa Federation of Labor President Ken Sagar, and Representative Abby Finkenauer.

Iowa City: Noon. Iowa City Public Library. 123 S Linn St, Meeting Room A. Contact Greg Hearns 319-361-2374. GHearns@iowalabor.com.

April 27: Saturday —

Keokuk: Lee County — Workers Memorial Day Dinner. 5:30PM. Keokuk Lee County Labor Temple, 301 Blondeau St Contact Penny Logsdon, 319-520-8742 onecentiii@yahoo.com.

April 28: Sunday —

Clinton: Clinton Labor Congress. 2PM. Riverview Recreation Vehicle Park (Spots #21 and #23), 511 Riverview Dr. Special memorial for Lieutenant Eric Hosette and a dediation to Adam Cain. Contact: Dave Keefer, 309-230-6476. dkeefer@lu25.org.

Sioux City: Western Iowa Labor Federation4PM. UFCW #222 Hall. 3038 S Lakeport. Contact Scott Punteney, 402-657-1007. spunteney@wilfaflcio.org.

Waterloo: Hawkeye Area Labor Council. 4PM. Labor Temple, 1695 Burton Ave. Laying of Flowers on the Memorial Monument and reading of names of those who were killed on the job. Refreshments and light lunch provided. Contact Jerry Hageman slinky1.jh@gmail.com, 319-230-3757.

April 29: Monday —

Cedar Rapids: Hawkeye Area Labor Council. 6-8PM. IBEW 405 Hall. 1211 Wiley Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids, IA. Speakers: Paul Iversen, U of I Labor Center, and Iowa State Senator Todd Taylor. Contact — Jay Larson, jay.larson@uweci.org. 319-398-5372.

Council Bluffs: Western Iowa Labr Federation. 6PM. Roberts Park, 1000 N 25th, Council Bluffs, IA. Contact Scott Punteney, 402-657-1007, spunteney@wilfaflcio.org.

Des Moines: 11AM. Iowa State Capitol. Speakers. Contact Mark Cooper 515-265-1862 or southcentral@scifl.org.

Death on the Job, the toll of 2018

2018 List of Workers

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