Rebecca Reindel, the Safety and Health Director for the AFL-CIO joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss Workers Memorial Day.
On April 28, 1971, the United States passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act. After more than a decade of lobbying, in 1989, the labor movement and AFL-CIO successfully enshrined Workers’ Memorials Day on April 28. The day serves not only to commemorate those who have been loston the job, but also a day to highlight the need for better, safer workplaces, according to Reindel.
The AFL-CIO released their Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, a report on the state of safety and health protections for America’s workers. Reindel shared some of the more surprising statistics found in this year's edition, including that people of color face a higher rate of workplace deaths.
Many more findings came from Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. For example, given the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration resources, it would take nearly 190 years for a safety check to be completed at every workplace. Also, the average cost of protecting an employee in the workplace is about $4 per employee.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.