Workers Memorial Service in South Bend

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - April 24, 2013 - PRLog -- SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Four decades ago, Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act, promising every worker the right to a safe job. Unions and our allies have fought hard to make that promise a reality—winning protections that have made jobs safer, saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prevented millions of workplace injuries and illnesses.

However, many job hazards are unregulated and uncontrolled. Each year thousands of workers are killed and millions more are injured or diseased because of their jobs. Steps are being taken today to defend the safety, health, and rights of workers.

On April 28, the North Central IN AFL-CIO and United Way of St. Joseph County will host the annual Workers Memorial Service to honor those who lost their lives on the job this past year as well as the heroes who continue fighting to make workplaces safe and healthy.

The memorial service will be held from 1-2 pm at Howard Park Workers Memorial Site, and will be presented by the North Central IN AFL CIO CLC and all affiliated unions. A historical rendition of workers rights, presented by IUSB Labor Studies, The Higgins Labor Research Center & The St. Joseph Valley Project, will follow the memorial at 2:15 pm. Families of lost loved ones and the general public are encouraged to attend.

In Indiana alone more than 170 workers lost their lives in 2012 and thousands more were injured or became ill.  Please promote workplace safety this and every week.  The loss of even one worker means their family and our community have lost too much.

For more information on the event, contact Dawn Chapla at (574) 232-8201 ext. 228 or dchapla@uwsjc.org.

United Way of St. Joseph County is a nonprofit organization working to advance the common good by focusing on education, income and health. It works closely with 57 local agency programs to meet the community needs of St. Joseph County.