Each year, on April 28, Steelworkers across North America take time to honor and remember those killed or injured on the job. Workers Memorial Day is observed in the U.S. on the anniversary of the implementation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. In Canada the day is called the Workers’ Day of Mourning and was officially recognized in 1991.
In 1996 a Global Union Delegation lit a commemoration candle at the United Nations in New York to highlight the plight of workers who die, are injured or become ill. This day has been officially endorsed by the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) as an International Day of Mourning. Every year on April 28, unions, communities and worksites in nearly one hundred countries recognize workers who have been killed or injured on the job.
Make Your Voice HeardFour decades ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, promising every worker 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 thousands of lives and prevented millions of workplace injuries and illnesses. |
Let us tell your story about what your local did to honor those members injured or killed on the job, Click Here.
What can your local do?
- Request your employer to commit to a minute of silence for workers who’ve died on the job
- Fly the flag at half-staff for the day/week or maybe lay a wreath at the flag pole or plant entrance
- Make April 28th a Safety Day to do some training
- Distribute Workers Memorial Day posters, stickers and information from the AFL-CIO
- Hold a candle light ceremony remembering the fallen workers
- Erect a permanent memorial at the Union hall or wall of remembrance
- Contact the family of the lost workers offering condolence
- Have a proclamation done by your town or city
- Join in with the Area Labor Council or Federation ceremony
- Build your ceremony using this checklist
Click Here for more ideas to assist your local with a Workers Memorial Day Event.
AFL-CIO Workers Memorial Day fact sheet: English | Spanish
Click here for AFL-CIO's Workers Memorial Day information and materials.