This Friday, April 28th, is Worker’s Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for workers who have died while on the job. But it’s also a day to highlight workplace safety in order to avoid further unnecessary workplace deaths.
While Worker’s Memorial Day doesn’t typically get as much attention as the regular Memorial Day — which is always held in the US on the last Monday of May for remembering members of the Armed Forces who were killed in battle — it actually has been around since 1970 and is observed worldwide.
Area Events to Be Held
Worker’s Memorial Day events are scheduled to be held throughout the US on Friday, including several local ceremonies for family members, friends, and co-workers of those killed on the job.
At 5 p.m. Friday, Boone and Winnebago County officials will gather at the AFL-CIO Rockford United Labor CLC E.J. “Zeke” Giorgi State of Illinois Building, at 200 S. Wyman St., in Rockford, for a Worker’s Memorial Day ceremony.
A similar event is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday at Peoria’s Worker Memorial, located at 419 Fulton St.
And in downstate Alton, officials will gather at 7 p.m. at the Worker Memorial Monument located in Gordon Moore Park.
Origins of Worker’s Memorial Day
The first Worker’s Memorial Day was held in 1970 and was organized by the AFL-CIO to honor the many workers killed in the line of duty. A year later, the US Congress formed the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to help reduce workplace deaths and injuries.
In 1984, the Canadian Union of Public Employees also set April 28th as Worker’s Memorial Day. And in 1991, the Canadian parliament passed an act designating April 28th as a national day of mourning for persons killed or injured on the job.
Similar measures have been organized by trade unions throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa, making Worker’s Memorial Day a global event. This year, the day of remembrance will be recognized in Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Bermuda, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Gibraltar, Ireland, Luxembourg, Panama, Peu, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, and the UK.
Trade unions in Romania, Singapore, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Hungary are pursuing legislation to create Worker’s Memorial Day in those countries as well.
Workplace Dangers Highlighted
Every year, thousands of people are killed while performing their normal work duties. In 2012 alone, 4,628 workers were killed on the job, an average of about 12 deaths per day. And in that same year, another 3 million non-fatal injuries were reported.
The economic burden of occupational injuries and deaths has been estimated to be more than $250 billion per year.