AFSCME’s Saunders: On Workers Memorial Day we honor those we lost by fighting for stronger workplace safety
WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in recognition of Workers Memorial Day, Tuesday, April 28:
“On Workers Memorial Day, we mourn the loss of all those who have died, been seriously injured or made ill while on the job. Going to work and earning a paycheck to support your family should not be hazardous to your health. Unfortunately, every year, thousands of families receive the devastating news that their loved one died or was seriously injured on the job, often because of a preventable workplace hazard.
“As the administration intentionally weakens protections and cuts funding for staffing, training, inspections, and enforcement, worker safety is actively under threat. Workers who spend their days outdoors — including sanitation and highway workers — are increasingly exposed to extreme heat that puts their lives at risk, yet this anti-worker administration has so far failed to advance commonsense heat protections despite regulations having been proposed in 2024. Similarly, AFSCME members working in health care, corrections and other fields continue to face unacceptably high rates of workplace violence, which could be prevented.
“These reckless decisions put more workers in harm’s way and make tragedies like the ones we commemorate today more likely. That’s why we’re organizing for stronger workplace protections — such as heat standards and workplace violence regulations — so sanitation workers, nurses, behavioral health workers, paramedics, corrections officers, and other public service workers can do their jobs without risking preventable injury or death. AFSCME members and all workers deserve a government that mandates and enforces strong worker safety protections.”
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AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families.