Making Safety a Priority

On May 1st, workers across Long Island will be remembering those who lost their lives while at work during the Annual Workers Memorial Mass. As union members, this is a reality that we do not often have to deal with. Over the last few decades, our stewards and leaders have instilled the importance of taking every safety precaution to ensure that you go home to your family every night. While it might seem annoying or unnecessary, these safety steps help save lives.

On April 28th, Workers Memorial Day, we also celebrate the founding of OSHA. Since its founding, over 70,000 lives have been saved due to their oversight and stricter safety rules. Unfortunately, they are understaffed and overworked. In 2016, over 5,000 people died on the job, many of them working non-union. I have provided details about the mass below and I would encourage everyone to use this week to assess your safety protocol and continue to make safety a daily priority. Remember, no job is so important that risk life or limb for it.