Dear Editor:
April 28, 2001 has been declared “Worker’s Memorial Day.” Local 195, IFPTE (International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers) along with other State ALF-CIO Public Employee Unions, will be observing this occasion at various worksites statewide in remembrance to those who suffered and died from an on-the-job injury and also to renew the fight for a safe workplace.
Local 195, IFPTE, representing approximately 7,000 employees working in State colleges, institutions and various departments will put forth a concentrated effort to emphasize the plight of workers where job safety is concerned. We feel many job-related injuries and deaths could have been prevented had adequate safety committees and programs been in place to address this issue. Programs and committees do exist in the workplace. However, some are not as visible as others. We feel there is a need for a greater concentration in this area.
More than two decades have passed since Congress enacted the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which will guarantee every American worker a safe and healthy workplace. Some progress has been made in improving working conditions, however, for many workers the right to a safe job is still a promise, not a reality. In today’s economic climate we often find that safety is sacrificed for dollars. A price tag cannot be placed on human lives. Conditions still exist that cause on-the-job injury to more than six million workers a year, with 60,000 workers permanently disabled. More than 1,000 workers are killed each year by workplace hazards, and 50,000 to 100,000 workers die each year from occupational diseases.
To protect workers throughout the country, stronger legislation is needed in both the private and public sectors. Legislation is needed to strengthen and revise the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. On Worker’s Memorial Day, Local 195, IFPTE, will observe a moment of silence at noon to commit ourselves to fight for change so that future tragedies are prevented.
I am sure that we all would agree that the working people surely deserve a safe workplace environment.
Dominick D. Critelli, President, Local 195, IFPTE
IFPTE Executive VP, Atlantic area