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On this day in 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect. Each year, on the anniversary, the labor movement comes together to honor our fellow workers, union and nonunion alike, who died a preventable death on the job in the last year.

This past year, 4,764 workers were killed on the job. An estimated 120,000 more died from occupational diseases. Sadly, we know the actual number of lives cut short by employer behavior — whether covert, like cutting health benefits during a pandemic, or overt, like failing to provide adequate PPE — is far greater.

Construction sites remain one of the deadliest places to work in the country. But the neglectful actions of employers of all stripes and in every industry — from Amazon and Tesla to Amy’s Kitchen and McLaren Macomb — impact not just their employees' well-being, but the well-being of workers’ families and the communities in which they live.

Honoring those senselessly lost means standing up in unison to say loud and clear: One workplace death is one too many.

Find a Workers Memorial Day event near you by clicking here.

Read the AFL-CIO’s annual report on worker safety and occupational hazards in all 50 states here.

The AFL-CIO's annual report on worker safety and occupational hazards was released today in advance of Workers Memorial Day on April 28. The statistics and figures within are a stark reminder of the necessity of protecting workers on the job in all 50 states and in every single industry.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2022) —  A supermajority of more than 75 percent of eligible staff of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund have joined together to form Leadership Conference Workers United (LCWU) and request formal voluntary recognition of their union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2. LCWU is requesting a response from Leadership Conference leadership by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 20. If the request is ignored or denied, they plan to file for an election through the National Labor Relations Board. 

“In forming a union, we find inspiration in the legacy of our coalition’s cofounder, A. Philip Randolph, whose birthday we celebrate this week,” wrote LCWU. “We also honor The Leadership Conference’s long history of advocacy on behalf of workers and the central role major unions have played both in our coalition and on our boards.” 

American Red Cross employees are reaching a breaking point as the expiration of their contract on May 31 nears — and they're asking for your help.

After two years on the front lines of the pandemic, these employees – the everyday heroes who collect our lifesaving blood supply – are mobilizing for a fair contract that addresses chronic understaffing and unsafe working conditions.

That's why they're asking you to sign this petition and tell the Red Cross: Front-line heroes deserve a fair contract that respects, protects and pays them for their service to our communities.