California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a proclamation Sunday, declaring Apr. 28 as “Workers’ Memorial Day." The day remembers and honors those who lost their lives or were hurt on the job and reaffirms the state’s commitment to healthy safe working conditions.
On Sunday, Cal/OSHA also honored workers in Richmond, being one of several events to do so.
“Throughout the state, we’re having events to remember workers we have lost throughout the country but specifically we’re here for workers in California,” said Dan Lucido, Cal/OSHA’s chief counsel.
Cal/OSHA along with federal OSHA and other partners put together the Richmond event to honor workers who have lost their lives due to work related injuries and illnesses.
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“In 2022, there were apparently 504 fatalities that we know of, that were the result of going to work and that is way too many. Our goal is to get those numbers down, educate employers on how to make their workplaces safer,” Lucido said.
“We want to insure that the workers are working in locations that are safe, that the employers provide them with safe working conditions and practice safety day out,” said Jim Wulff, regional administrator with OSHA.
This event was held at the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park, a location with special significance.
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“The Rosie the Riveter Historical Park is really in remembrance of the workers, the women workers in World War II, who stepped up when a lot of the men were at war and assisting with war effort. And so, a lot of what they did was dangerous,” Lucido said.
The event comes as Newsom issued a proclamation, declaring Sunday, April 28 as Workers’ Memorial Day, highlighting advancements in recent years like "improving working conditions and wages for fast food workers, protecting warehouse workers from unsafe production quotas and ending unfair pay practices impacting garment industry workers.”
