April 25, 2025
Worker Memorial Day 2025- Pray for the Dead and Fight For The Living
On Monday April 28, we will once again observe Worker Memorial Day. This year will mark the 54th Worker Memorial Day, where we remember those who have died on the job this past year and rededicate ourselves to protecting workers and insuring, they have a safe workplace.
This year is especially important for us, for one of our Region 8 members died on the job in the past year. Member Franklin “Tracey” Logsdon of Local 3047 lost his life on the job. We mourn with the family and continue to provide our thoughts and prayers for our brother, his family, coworkers and friends.
Each day, 340 workers die on the job, with another 6000 being injured. This occurs even with OSHA (Occupational Hazard and Safety Administration being in place. OSHA was signed into law December 29, 1970 by President Richard Nixon. OSHA began operation on April 28, 1971 marking the date for Worker Memorial Day. In the years that have followed, standards have been added across the sectors of workplaces to protect people on the job. Even with these protections, we still see all of these accidents resulting in injuries and deaths.
UAW Contracts usually contain workplace safety protections that go beyond those of OSHA, because our members safety is our number one priority. Wages, benefits and job security are all important, but at the end of the day making sure our members return home safety is our number one job. We also work to protect OSHA for the benefit of all working-class Americans. Without OSHA, millions of workers would be at the mercy of their employers. Since the adoption of OSHA in 1970, work place fatalities have declined by 60% while the number of American workers has doubled.
Arizona Congressional Representative Andy Biggs introduced a bill to abolish OSHA in the 115th Congress on January 3, 2025. The bill is currently in committee to be examined. However, this isn’t the first time Republicans have attacked OSHA. The first challenge to OSHA began in 1974, as business groups began funding campaigns to undermine OSHA. Businesses care only about their profit margins, and worker safety is simply a pesky roadblock to them. However, we KNOW that every worker represents a spouse, a parent, a sibling, a child, a friend and neighbor. The very reason we work is to provide for our loved ones. When one of us dies needlessly in the workplace, it isn’t just the worker that is impacted- it is an entire family.
While Republicans in Congress are working to repeal OSHA, President Trump has issued an executive order to freeze OSHA from making rules. He is also cutting funding to OSHA, which already is well under supported. The federal government spends less than $4 per worker to fund OSHA. The number of inspectors is way too low. If every workplace in America was inspected with the current number of OSHA employees, it would take 185 years to get to them all.
The Trump Administration has pushed the idea of “voluntary enforcement” for companies. If this doesn’t fit the old “fox watching the hen house” mentality nothing does. Representative Andy Biggs’ “Abolish OSHA” bill states that states should be responsible for worker safety. Across the south Republican led states have been busy rolling back child labor laws. Do you really think these state legislatures are going to protect workers safety? Many of these child labor laws they are repealing have to do with the type of job minors can do. One of the main purposes of child labor law is to keep children out of dangerous situations. If they don’t care about the safety of a minor in the workplace, do you really think they will care about adults?
As we pause to observe and mourn this Worker’s Memorial Day, may we all remember the day is also about action. Standing and letting our voice be heard is just as important. The protections that have been won for workers have come with sacrifice and tears. If we allow them to abolish OSHA, all the deaths, the pain and anguish will have been for nothing. I am asking each of you to pick up the phone on April 28 and call your member of Congress and tell them to vote NO on H.R. 86, the Nullify OSHA Bill. Also tell them to ask the White House to fund OSHA and to stop repealing OSHA rules.
This Worker Memorial Day, lets pray for the dead and fight for the living. We owe it to each other to stand in solidarity for workplace safety.
Who Are We? UAW!
In Solidarity,
UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith
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