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We recently had two tragedies. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are lost in the workplace,
we will honor them on Workers Memorial Day!
- April 2nd when an explosion killed Daniel J. Aldridge, Matthew C. Bowen, Darrin J. Hoines,
Kathryn Powell and Donna Van Dreumel at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes. The blast also injured
two others, Matt Gumbel and Lew Janz, are at the UW Medicine Burn Center at Harborview Medical
Center in Seattle.
- An explosion at the Massey Energy Co. mine in Montcoal, West Virginia,
killed at least 25 miners, 4 are still missing. A few names have been released: Timmy Davis,
Sr., Cory Davis, Timmy Davis Sr., Steve Harrah, Josh Napper, Gary Quarles, Deward Scott,
Benny R. Willingham.
Message
Families who have a loss need to be acknowledged. We will not allow others
to discount us any longer. We are the brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers and
children of America. Families and their losses are not a number or a statistic.
Our lost loved ones were the very ones making your profit. We are not asking
for more than we are entitled to, Our Right, The Right to a Safe and Healthful
Workplace. We need leaders to restore our faith in governmental humanity.
We cannot thank the Public Welfare Foundation
enough for having faith in our efforts and awarding us
a 2-year grant to support this website, our advocacy efforts and travel support
for family members to fight for safety and health reforms.
Workers Memorial Day, April 28th
Many family members united in 2006 to put together a number of basic rights
we felt was necessary for healing, functionality and a truly transparent
investigative system. H.R. 2067 will change the penalties and prosecution process
and evaluate the penalties every four years, the employer must notify OSHA is there
is an incident that causes a serious injury or death and preserve the evidence, OSHA
may not classify any violation as unclassified, along with informing the families
of their rights in the process, giving the injured and killed worker a voice by
giving the family the right to a representative that will have the opportunity to
meet with the secretary and right to participate in proceedings, be notified of all
correspondences between the employer and OSHA, and the families will gain the
citation report without cost.
This year USMWF will hold it 2nd annual Workers Memorial Day event in
Washington DC on April 28th. We will get more detail soon but if you would like to join us please let me know at
tammy@usmwf.org, mark the date and we will keep you up to
date.
For Events around the world visit
Hazards Magazine
- Washington DC: Want to be a part of history? Join us in part or for a full week of events for Families of workplace deaths.
The Department of Labor and USMWF will have an event in DC on the 27th and 28th with other events surrounding. Private meeting with Labor
Secretary Hilda Solis, DOL Headquarters, Gathering with officials from OSHA/MSHA/Solicitor of Labor, Congressional Hearings, Gathering on the
steps of the Frances Perkins' Building, National Labor College, Ceremony at the National Workers' Memorial, The largest Workers Memorial
Day event in the U.S., sponsored by PhilaPOSH and Philadelphia County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Sightseeing in the National's Capital.
To join us please fill the Workers Memorial Day 2010
form and return to Celeste Monforton. If you have any questions contact Tammy Miser
- Indiana: Gathering in a large park in downtown Anderson
at 11 on Wednesday April 28. Cook out, Local and state reps are invited, balloon
release, and much more. For more info please email Tobi Jones
- Los Angeles: SoCalCOSH and UCLA LOSH are sponsoring the Los Angeles Workers'
Memorial Day commemoration. The event will be at the UCLA Downtown Labor Center, 675 S Park View, from 11am-2pm.
To be involved contact 213-346-3277 or socalcosh@gmail.com.
- Lincoln, NE: Where: State Capital on North side Lincoln, NE What: Workers Memorial Day, Time: 7:30-Sunset. Please contact Tonya
Ford with any questions: tford@neb.rr.com. To honor loved ones we have lost or those have been injured in
a work related accident.
- Maine: Western Maine Labor Council and Museum L/A. 4th Annual Workers’ Memorial Day/May Day Breakfast and Labor Concert with
Dave Rowe. Saturday May 1, 8:30am. Franco American Heritage Center, 46 Cedar St, Lewiston. For more details visit
here
- Massachusetts: Wednesday, April 28th, 12 noon- 1:15pm. In front of the State House, Beacon Hill, Boston A private breakfast will be
held for the families of fallen workers from 10:30am-12pm, State
House, room TBA. Katie Mae Simpson at (617)825-7233 x14 or katiemae.simpson@masscosh.org for more
Workers’ Memorial Day info
- Massachusetts: Lawrence/Merrimack Valley Workers Memorial Day Commemoration. Thu, 04/01/2010 - 5:30pm - 6:30pm Lawrence/Merrimack Valley.
Lawrence Heritage State Park, 1 Jackson Street, Lawrence, Katie Mae Simpson at (617)825-7233 x14 or katiemae.simpson@masscosh.org for more
Workers’ Memorial Day info
- Massachusetts: Eighteenth Annual Arnold Dubin Workers Memorial Day 5K Road Race and 1.6 Mile Walk will be Sunday May 2, 2010. Race start is 10 AM.
UMass Dartmouth, May 2 at 10 AM Contact UMass Dartmouth Labor Education Center 285 Old Westport Road N. Dartmouth MA 02747 or 508-999-8007. All Benefactors, Contributors and
supports
will have their name appear on the race T-Shirt and race day program
- Michigan: 2010 Miners Memorial Day Observance at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, Negaunee. The third annual Miners Memorial Day
Observance remembering workers who lost their lives in the iron mines of the Upper Peninsula takes place June 6, 2010 from 1 to 4pm.on 2010-06-10 this
event is free of charge; donations are appreciated.
More info
- Minnesota: special program and discussion on April 28 – Workers Memorial Day – when unions remember workers who have been injured and
killed on the job and renew the call for workplace safety. The program will run from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 28, at the St. Paul Labor Centre, 411 Main
St. It is sponsored by the Labor Education Service at the University of Minnesota and co-sponsored by the Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety
and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
Flyer
- New Hampshire: Plumbers and Steamfitters Hall. 161 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, NH 03106. Tuesday, April 27, 2010 5:30 P.M. –
8:30 P.M. Dinner Provided. For more info please
visit
- Philadelphia: Worker's Memorial Day Breakfast, Procession and Memorial Service for the Tri-State Area (Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
and Delaware)Date: Friday, April 30th, beginning at 9:00am Location: Breakfast program at Sheet Metal Workers Hall, Local 19, 1201 S. Columbus Blvd,
Philadelphia, PA followed by procession and memorial service at Penn's Landing. Co-Sponsored by PhilaPOSH and the Philadelphia Council, AFL-CIO For more
information, contact Philaposh at: (215) 386-7000 or email at Philaposh@aol.com.
- Washington State: Washington State Department of Labor and Industries participates every year.
We have standing room only in our auditorium. The governor, head of the Labor Council and head of the largest
business association all speak. Families of the victims are also present.
- Milwaukee, WI: At 5 pm on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010 WisCOSH,
the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, union locals and workers of all kinds will gather to
remember those workers no longer with us because of a workplace incident or exposure.
Forty years after workers were guaranteed safe and healthy working conditions by the
Occupational Safety AND Health Act upwards of 15 workers die each and every day in this
country. A mother or father that will no longer be there for the rest of their children's
lives. Or a teenage son or daughter that will never have a chance to have a family of their own.
For the first time in decades there is a chance to make a change for the better. The Protecting
America's Workers Act will strengthen worker protections, increase enforcement of existing
regulations, allow for the creation of long new regulations, begin the process of updating of
PELs and chemical regulation, and increase the penalties for noncompliance.
The Faces Campaign
Fred R. Barnard said, “One picture is worth a thousand words.”
How many words does it take to peer into the eyes of tragedy or feel the heartache and
pain that is set in motion after our loved one was lost. The Faces Campaign is intended
to give workplace fatalities a face, gain awareness and educate workers, employees,
organizations and our government. We invite you to add a face of someone lost due to a
workplace incident to tammy@usmwf.org or usmwf@yahoo.com (if you use Microsoft outlook
sometimes i do not receive your information so if you don't have a reply in a timely
manner please try my alt email). We would love to get the following information:
- Photo of Worker
- Name
- Age
- Birth date
- Loss date
- Place of employment
- Your name
- Your relationship with lost worker
All is not required however we do need a name of both your loss and you in order to post a face.
Have you lost a loved one and want to get involved? Take the survey here for
pdf and here for
word then send it to
Debi Fergen
*Please note if you send in your loved ones photo it may be featured in print and/or online.
Protecting America's Workers Act
H.R.2067 (Protecting America's Workers Act) was once part of the
Family Bill of Rights and has some new and exciting elements that have been fought for since
USMWF's Beginning.
Many family members united in 2006 and put together a number of basic rights
we felt was necessary for healing, functionality and a truly transparent
investigative system. H.R. 2067 will change the penalties and prosecution process
and evaluate the penalties every four years, the employer must notify OSHA is there
is an incident that causes a serious injury or death and preserve the evidence, OSHA
may not classify any violation as unclassified, along with informing the families
of their rights in the process, giving the injured and killed worker a voice by
giving the family the right to a representative that will have the opportunity to
meet with the secretary and right to participate in proceedings, be notified of all
correspondences between the employer and OSHA, and the families will gain the
citation report without cost.
The Families being included in H.R. 2067 is historic and all that have been
involved whether they have worked on this particular goal or other rights for the
families you should raise your head with pride that your voice and the voice of your
loved one has been heard loud and clear.
Please take a moment to look over
H.R.2067 it is important
pieces of legislation and deserve our attention. We recently added a
model letter
in support of the PAWA for the families and we encourage you to send these out to your
reps and if you need help as always contact someone at USMWF. We have also included a
cleaned up version of H.R.2067 Protecting America's Workers Act so it is a little
easier for you all to read.
The Waiting List
The Waiting List is a Multimedia story-telling project which tells the story of individuals waiting for organ transplants.
FACE State Web Sites
New NIOSH Reports
- Chemist dies from burns caused by mixing chemicals.
(pdf)
- Maintenance worker dies when he falls into a baling machine that bales cardboard for recycling.
(pdf)
- Print machine operator is strangled when his shirt is caught on a rotating knob.
(pdf)
- Warehouse worker dies when he falls through a skylight.
(pdf)
- Janitor dies when he falls into a baling machine that bales cardboard for recycling.
(pdf)
- Solar Energy Technician Electrocuted.
(pdf)
Site Music
The music used on site is complements of Krittybean an amazingly talented singer. You can view a large array
(from country to opera) of Krittybean's music is located
here.
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