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On a solemn Sunday morning, the cities of the Bay Area came together to honor those who have lost their lives while on the job. April 28th marked Workers Memorial Day, an internationally recognized event to commemorate workers killed or injured due to hazardous working conditions.
The main vigil was held at the Oakland City Hall plaza, where hundreds gathered to pay their respects. Union leaders, elected officials, and family members of fallen workers addressed the somber crowd.
We must recommit ourselves to the fight for workplace safety each and every day,
said Tamara Rodriguez, president of the Alameda Labor Council.
No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable circumstances.
Rodriguez spoke of the 59 California workers who tragically lost their lives on the job in 2023. While a slight decline from previous years, labor advocates argue that even one death is too many.
These are not mere statistics,
remarked Emma Liu, whose brother died in a construction accident two years ago.
They were beloved members of our community whose memories we cherish.
San Francisco held its own Workers Memorial Day at Civic Center Plaza. Jayden Miller, an iron worker who narrowly survived a scaffolding collapse last year, shared his harrowing experience.
One minute I was hard at work, the next I was lying broken on the ground,
he recalled.
I was fortunate to live, but my life will never be the same.
Such searing testimonies have reinvigorated demands for stricter enforcement of workplace regulations across the Bay. Union leaders have criticized budget cuts and staffing shortages at Cal/OSHA, California’s occupational safety agency.
How can inspectors ensure compliance when they’re overwhelmed and under-resourced?
questioned Jessica Gonzalez of SEIU 1021.
Recent high-profile incidents have magnified the issue as well. In November, two workers perished after a wall collapsed at a San Jose construction site during the demolition phase.
Just last month, a mill explosion in Richmond hospitalized three and prompted an investigation into potential safety violations.
The Bay Area leads the world in innovation and prosperity, yet too many hard-working people are still risking their lives daily on the job,
said Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao.
We can and must do better as a society to uphold the basic rights of all workers to a safe environment.
Mayor Thao has proposed allocating additional city funds to partner with labor groups in providing multilingual safety training workshops. She also backs legislation to strengthen criminal penalties for wage theft and worksite safety breaches by employers.
The events of Workers Memorial Day serve as an annual reminder of the severe toll that unsafe conditions inflict.
But for the loved ones of the fallen, as well as injured workers themselves, it is a cross they bear each day. All agree that only through sustained action can the Bay Area uphold its promise as a bastion of economic opportunity without the looming threat of mortal peril.
Workers Memorial Day
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