Obama First President to Proclaim April 28 as Workers Memorial Day

As CWA locals nationwide joined other unions and activists on Apr. 28 to remember workers killed or harmed on the job, President Obama did something no other U.S. president has done: he issued a proclamation officially marking the date as Workers Memorial Day.

Obama said the most recent mining disaster is a tragic reminder that "we remain too far from fulfilling the promise" of safe workplaces, as established 40 years ago by the original Occupational Safety and Health Act.

"The legal right to a safe workplace was won only after countless lives had been lost over decades in workplaces across America, and after a long and bitter fight waged by workers, unions and public health advocates," Obama said. "Much remains to be done, and my administration is dedicated to renewing our nation's commitment to achieve safe working conditions for all American workers."

The full statement can be read here.

The AFL-CIO this week released its annual "Death on the Job" report. In 2008, the most recent data fully available, 5,214, workers were killed, more than 50,000 workers died from occupational diseases, and at least 4.6 million workers were reported injured. The report can be downloaded at www.aflcio.org.