The Stand - Ahead of Workers Memorial Day on April 28, the AFL-CIO released its 33rd annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect. This annual report serves as a national and state-by-state profile of worker safety and health, offering direction to policymakers and regulatory bodies as they strive to address the scourge of working people facing death, injury and illness at work. Among the report’s startling data are the disproportionate rates of Latino and Black workers at risk of dying on the job. Black workers are facing the highest job fatality rates in nearly 15 years and Latino workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job, compared to all other workers.
The report also sheds light on the enormous cost of job
injuries and illness on our society—an estimated $174 billion to $348
billion a year—and the flat-funded budget for job safety agencies to
fulfill their growing duties, which do not even keep up with inflation.
It also outlines key strategies to address this crisis, including a
renewed commitment to regulatory oversight agencies, improved data and
transparency, stronger deterrents against employer retaliation, and
prioritizing standard-setting and enforcement. “Despite workers’ hard-won safety and health rights, this
report shows the fight is far from over,” said AFL-CIO President Liz
Shuler. “Too many workers face retaliation for reporting unsafe working
conditions or injuries, while low penalties fail to deter employers from
following the law. The alarming disparities in workplace fatalities
among workers of color are unacceptable, symptomatic of deeply ingrained
racial inequity and the need to pay increased attention to the
dangerous industries that treat workers as disposable. As we honor those
who have fallen this Workers Memorial Day, we remain committed to
holding corporations accountable so that all jobs are safe jobs—where
every worker can return home safely at the end of the day.”
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