Hare Statement On Workers Memorial Day

Statement

Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL) today released the following statement regarding Workers Memorial Day.

"On April 28 we observe Workers Memorial Day, as people all over the world gather to remember and mourn the workers who have been killed or injured on the job. April 28 also commemorates the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Since its inception in 1970, OSHA has been a driving force in improving workplace safety and health conditions across the country.

"Over the past several decades, through the work of OSHA, we have made enormous strides in protecting workers, yet there is still much work to be done. Worker safety has been at the forefront of our social conscience lately--we've seen devastating tragedies from West Virginia to Connecticut to Washington State to Louisiana.

"Each of these deaths should remind us that failing to give OSHA the tools it needs to regulate the workplace effectively leaves our constituents--America's workforce-- in jeopardy.

"But government alone cannot fully protect our workers. Workers Memorial Day must also be a reminder to our nation's employers of the obligation they have to keep their employees safe. The days of some companies skirting safety just to save a buck must come to an end once and for all. For those employers that fail to comply, we must strengthen worker protections and make penalties more severe.

"Last year, House Education and Labor Workforce Protections Subcommittee Chairwoman Lynn Woolsey and I, along with the late Senator Ted Kennedy, introduced the Protecting America's Workers Act, a bill to amend OSHA to cover more workers, increase penalties, and improve accountability.

"Let us honor all workers lost on the job by enacting this important legislation as soon as possible."

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