Unions Honor Workers Who Lost Their Lives on the Job

Members of the Bricklayers Union set 73 engraved bricks at the National Workers Memorial on April 27 to honor workers who lost their lives on the job in 2011. The Memorial paid special tribute this year to first responders and public employees.

The memorial, located on the campus of the National Labor College in Silver Spring, MD, serves as a place of reflection while building awareness of the human toll caused by unsafe working conditions. The memorial funds educational programs that provide union members and leaders with the tools and knowledge to improve workplace safety.

Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health spoke prior to the symposium. Guest speakers at the symposium included Peg Seminario, Director of Safety and Health, AFL-CIO; Joseph McCartin, PhD, Associate Professor of History, Georgetown University; Jacob Remes, PhD, Assistant Professor of Public Affairs, Empire State College; and Daniel Katz, PhD, Dean of Labor Studies, National Labor College.

If you have photos from commemorations which took place in your city, please send them to the Communications Department at photos@apwu.org.