Remember the Fallen on Workers' Memorial Day, April 28

CWA members will join workers around the nation on Saturday in remembering those who've died or been seriously injured on the job.

In honor of Workers' Memorial Day, they'll be gathering with state and local OSH groups, labor activists and community leaders to hold memorial services for those who have lost their lives and call on elected officials for strong workplace protections.

Click here for a fact sheet and more information on events you can organize for Workers' Memorial Day.

Last week, at a Senate hearing, unions, safety experts and watchdog groups advocated a simpler and speedier process for creating workplace health and safety rules. Since 1981, it's taken the Occupational Safety and Health Administration nearly eight years on average to issue each new safety rule, with some being delayed as long as 19 years, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. That's twice as long as the Transportation Department and more than five times as long as the Securities and Exchange Commission.

In 2009, 4,340 workers died on the job — at an average of 12 workers every day — and about 50,000 were killed by occupational diseases, according to preliminary data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But the BLS's report of more than 4.1 million work-related injuries and illnesses is far from an accurate record of workplace hazards. Many workers fail to file reports with their facilities, while management persuades employees that their injuries are just not worth reporting, according to the 2011 edition of the AFL-CIO report, "Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect." Researchers estimate the true injury and illness toll is two to three times greater — 8 million to 12 million each year.