Workers Pause to Honor Those Who Have Fallen on the Job

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/13415

Submitted by Jesse Russell on April 28, 2010 - 1:40pm
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Meanwhile, other labor organizations spent Wednesday pausing to recognize Workers Memorial Day. April 28 is the date in 1971 when the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect in the United States. In New York City workers gathered at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to honor construction accident victims and their families. Ronnie Richardson is Business Agent for Metallic Lathers Union Local 46.

: You know we are under a lot of pressure to get the job done
right and one time so, and the most important thing for us is that we
come back to our families at the end of the day; so we're here to pay
respects to the ones that didn't

Construction is consistently ranked the number two most dangerous job, but Richardson doesn’t think most New Yorkers are aware of that.

: I think people in the trades to, but as a whole, I think the
public really doesn't understand; we work hard and now with the
economy the way it is, they're pushing us a little harder every day to
make the money and unfortunately guys get hurt.