Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Fourty years after the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act there are still many workers without any occupational safety and health protections and far too many workers are still struggling with unsafe and unhealthy work environments. Each year on April 28 WisCOSH holds a memorial service to remember those family members, friends, neighbors and coworkers who lost their life to workplace incident. When it comes to worker safety there are no accidents only calculated gamble taken by the employer and paid for by the worker, thier family and the community at large.
Madison, WI
Join WisCOSH in Madison this year as we gather with workers and their families, the South Central Federation of Labor, political leaders and the WI AFL-CIO as we recall those workers killed on the job in WI in 2009 and advocate effective means of protecting workers and making jobs safer and healthier for all. Just because someone works for a family business, in agriculture, healthcare or for the government doesn't mean they deserve any less protection. [Madison Event flier (PDF)]
- Workers Memorial Day Commemoration
- Where : Capitol Building
- 2 East Main St., Madison, WI
- Assembly Parlor Room
- When : 12 PM to 1 PM
- Eulogy for Unsafe Work
- WI State AFL-CIO
- David Newby - invited
- Phil Neuenfeldt - invited
- WisCOSH "Call To Action"
Reading of Names
- WI State AFL-CIO
Milwaukee, WI
Join WisCOSH this year as we gather with workers and their families, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council and the WI AFL-CIO as we recall those workers killed on the job in WI in 2009 and advocate effective means of protecting workers and making jobs safer and healthier for all. Just because someone works for a family business, in agriculture, healthcare or for the government doesn't mean they deserve any less protection. [Milwaukee Event flier (PDF)]
- Mourn For The Dead
- Where : Zeidler Union Square Park
- 310 Michigan St., Milwaukee, WI
- When : 5 PM to 6 PM
- Eulogy for Unsafe Work
- Labor Speaks
- Sheila Cochran - Milwaukee Area Labor Council
- Elected Officials
- Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett - invited
- Milwaukee County DA John Chisholm - invited
- Sen. Russ Feingold - invited
- Sen. Herb Kohl - invited
- Rep. Gwen Moore - invited
- Reading of Names
- Fight Like Hell For The Living
- Where : American Postal Workers Union Hall
- 417 N. 3rd St., Milwaukee, WI
- When : 6 PM to 7:30 PM
- Fundraiser Dinner
- Homemade Chicken Dinner
- Cost :
- $15 paid in advance or $20 at the door
- $75 for a table of 6
- Make a donation of $100 dollars or more and receive a table of 6 and be listed as a Supporter in the Program
- Make a donation of $250 or more and receive 2 tables of six and be listed as an Activist in the Program
- Includes :
- Fresh Fried Chicken
- Two kinds of Homemade Potato Salad
- Fresh Made Cole Slaw
- Homemade Desserts
- A variety of beverages will be available including wine, beer, soda and water
- Cost :
- Election of WisCOSH Officers
- Award Ceremony
WisCOSH is pleased to present Certificate of Achievement awards to 32 students who recently completed the Focus Four Hazards For Building and Construction Workers training. These students are currently working to make positive and lasting change in their lives. WisCOSH is working with Wisconsin Community Services and Home Builders Institute to provide real world work experience as part of a Pre-Apprenticeship Certification Training program. Students are working to rehabilitate themselves and a 1880s 3 story 24,000 foot warehouse with green technologies. The students are learning valuable skills and practices. The students are also receiving mentoring from masters and journeymen in a wide variety of trades.
PAWA
There has been an unending assault on the working class over the years with illness, injury and death being the result. The most devastating incidents are always those that were foreseeable and thus preventable such as the recent mining and petrolium refining catastrophies. These was no accident but rather willful and malevolent actions taken by the company leadership in order to maintain maximum profitability. These workers were killed by greed just as surely as they were by gas, explosion and fire and the employing companys have each long list of worker safety violations.
Even now Wall Street is negating these workers and thier families as they continue to rate the mining company's stock as a "buy" and echo the owners claims that these "accidents" will not affect earnings nor production quotas. Why are workers pensions and 401k accounts invested in companies such as these? How will these workers' families cope and continue without their partner/spouse, father, brother or son? Where are the cries for "personal responcibility" for those in charge? When will the worker gain justice?
Last year the National COSH, the United Support and Memorial for Workplace Fatalities and the Occupational Safety & Health section of the American Public Health Association put forth the Protecting Workers On The Job 2009 platform. It's time to strengthen OSHA and MSHA and make employers know that it is not acceptable for even one worker to lose their life, be injured or made ill from exposure on the job.
Since the introduction of the Protecting Workers On The Job 2009 pltform there has been a growing, groundswell of support. California Rep Woosley introduced the Protecting America's Workers Act [H.R. 2076] in the House of Representatives. Last year Sen. Ted Kenedy introduced the companion Protecting America's Act [S. 1580] into the Senate as his last piece of legislation before he passed away. Many unions, workers and community-based organizations have signed on as supporters of the PWOTJ2009 and have actively encouraged their elected Congressional representatives to sign-on to the Protecting America's Workers Act.
