This year on Workers Memorial Day, April 28, we will remember workers killed, injured or made ill on the job while we “Fight for Our Lives” and demand “Safe Jobs Now!” (pdf)

Nearly 55 years ago, we won worker safety laws because of the tireless efforts of the labor movement. Since then, unions and allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality—winning protections under the law that have made jobs safer and saved lives. But all of that is in serious danger as elected leaders threaten to cut staff, defund or outright eliminate federal job safety agencies. 

The situation is dire. EACH DAY, more than 340 workers are killed and more than 6,000 suffer injury and illness because of dangerous working conditions that are preventable. Job safety agency resources already are critically underfunded.

Many of our hard-won workplace safety and health rights are under threat. Funding and staffing cuts by the Trump administration will make oversight on businesses nearly impossible, preventing OSHA and MSHA from issuing protections and enforcing the law. 

Our job is not finished. Together on this Workers Memorial Day, we are fighting for our lives and confronting attacks on safety and health agencies that keep our workplaces safe—and we are demanding action for independent oversight. We are holding employers accountable to keep workers safe. 

We will fight for our lives in the halls of government and on the shop floor. We will fight to protect our fundamental right to a safe job. Our nation’s strength depends on safe workplaces and workers who can return home to their families at the end of each shift. 

We urge you to get involved this Workers Memorial Day: Organize observances to remember those who have been killed and injured on the job, and take action to demand safer working conditions, protect the right of every worker to a safe job, and fight until that promise is fulfilled. 

Materials for your event, including posters and stickers, can be ordered from the AFL-CIO website at aflcio.org/WorkersMemorialDay, and a digital toolkit will be available for download in the coming weeks. Please let us know what you are planning by submitting your event on our website. If you need additional information, please contact the AFL-CIO Safety and Health office at oshmail@aflcio.org.