Tuesday morning was Workers’ Memorial Day, and the day started with an assembled crowd, gathering to commemorate the lives of those who were lost while on the job. Dr. Charles McCollester, a retired IUP labor professor, recounted the event, saying, “We gather today as always with the words of Mother Jones committed in our hearts — ‘Mourn for the dead and fight like hell for the living.’” McCollester played host to the event, and remarked, “The first Workers Memorial Day that I emceed had 35 workers killed that year. This year we commemorate nine, still too many.”

The Allegheny County Labor Council coordinated the gathering in conjunction with many labor unions, the memorial get-together acknowledged nine local workers who have perished on the job since last year’s Memorial Day. CBS Pittsburgh quotes Jack Shea, Allegheny County Labor Council president, as saying, “Nationally, the numbers are not good…Every day 150 workers die on the job either from an injury or an illness.”

Maintaining a good safety record on the work site requires hard work, especially during a construction boom. “With all the building construction being done in Pittsburgh, we can all be proud of the labor management efforts to ensure worker safety,” added McCollester. While unions hail their special role in focusing on worker safety, it requires a partnership among management, unions, and workers to meet the goal of zero injuries and zero fatalities. “We expect them at the end of their shift or the end of their day at work to go home and have dinner with their family,” noted Shea.