We Mourn for the Dead, and Fight for the Living
On April 28, 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect, representing a new chapter for our labor movement and for all working people, promising safe jobs for workers across every sector of our labor movement.
This victory did not come without sacrifice. For centuries, workers have died in senseless tragedies, became ill, or sustained debilitating injuries because of unsafe working conditions. Through years of hard work and advocacy, the labor movement demanded accountability, and action to shield workers from harm. Our efforts have saved countless workers. Yet, today, there is still more work to be done, and more battles that face our labor movement at a time when workers’ health and safety are on the line.
On this Workers Memorial Day 2026, we honor those who have perished on the job, reaffirm our commitment to ensuring safe work environments for all, and continue to condemn and fight the anti-regulatory attacks on the protections that workers have fought and died for.
In our labor movement, an injury to one is an injury to all. Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers are killed, and millions more become ill due to preventable hazards on the job. In New Jersey alone, we lost 84 workers this past year.
At this moment, we are at a critical crossroads. Unless we continue to make a stand, conditions for workers will continue to deteriorate. The Trump administration has continued to dismantle the federal safety oversight that keeps workers safe by slashing government funding, attempting to privatize public services and disrupting federal agencies that provide key protections for workers, unnecessarily jeopardizing workers’ safety. He has weakened OSHA, which now has the lowest staffing levels and lowest number of inspectors in the history of the agency, and proposed eliminating or weakening more than 40 OSHA and Mine Safety and Health Administration standards.
Everyone has a right to return home safely without fearing for their life or their job. None of us alone can take on corporate greed, hold unsafe employers and the politicians who push for deregulation accountable, but together, united under one labor movement, our voices are amplified. We will refuse to be silent. As Mother Jones said, “pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
We encourage our affiliates to take part in Workers Memorial Day Events taking place in New Jersey, as listed below:
Workers Memorial Day Observance
Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios and the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners are hosting a Workers Memorial Day Observance on Tuesday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the entrance of the Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX) site on Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Click here to register for the event.
Day: Tuesday
Date: April 28, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX) site on Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Parking is available at the Wellness Plaza Garage, located at 97 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Unveiling of the Workers Memorial Monument “Tree of Life”
The Workers’ Memorial Monument Committee including Joseph Demark, President of SMART Local 25, Patrick Glover, Chief Steward of IBEW Local 827, Brian Jackson, President of the Passaic County Building Trades, and Thomas Kelly, President of the Passaic Central Labor Council, will hold an unveiling of the Workers Memorial Monument “Tree of Life.”
To R.S.V.P. for this event call: (973) 595-7953
or email labormuseum@gmail.com.
Day: Tuesday
Date: April 28, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Tilt Street Park
407 Belmont Avenue
Haledon, NJ 07508
We Mourn for the Dead, and Fight for the Living
On April 28, 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect, representing a new chapter for our labor movement and for all working people, promising safe jobs for workers across every sector of our labor movement.
This victory did not come without sacrifice. For centuries, workers have died in senseless tragedies, became ill, or sustained debilitating injuries because of unsafe working conditions. Through years of hard work and advocacy, the labor movement demanded accountability, and action to shield workers from harm. Our efforts have saved countless workers. Yet, today, there is still more work to be done, and more battles that face our labor movement at a time when workers’ health and safety are on the line.
On this Workers Memorial Day 2026, we honor those who have perished on the job, reaffirm our commitment to ensuring safe work environments for all, and continue to condemn and fight the anti-regulatory attacks on the protections that workers have fought and died for.
In our labor movement, an injury to one is an injury to all. Each year, hundreds of thousands of workers are killed, and millions more become ill due to preventable hazards on the job. In New Jersey alone, we lost 84 workers this past year.
At this moment, we are at a critical crossroads. Unless we continue to make a stand, conditions for workers will continue to deteriorate. The Trump administration has continued to dismantle the federal safety oversight that keeps workers safe by slashing government funding, attempting to privatize public services and disrupting federal agencies that provide key protections for workers, unnecessarily jeopardizing workers’ safety. He has weakened OSHA, which now has the lowest staffing levels and lowest number of inspectors in the history of the agency, and proposed eliminating or weakening more than 40 OSHA and Mine Safety and Health Administration standards.
Everyone has a right to return home safely without fearing for their life or their job. None of us alone can take on corporate greed, hold unsafe employers and the politicians who push for deregulation accountable, but together, united under one labor movement, our voices are amplified. We will refuse to be silent. As Mother Jones said, “pray for the dead, and fight like hell for the living.”
We encourage our affiliates to take part in Workers Memorial Day Events taking place in New Jersey, as listed below:
Workers Memorial Day Observance
Commissioner Director Ronald G. Rios and the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners are hosting a Workers Memorial Day Observance on Tuesday, April 28, at 11:00 a.m. The ceremony will be held at the entrance of the Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX) site on Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. Click here to register for the event.
Day: Tuesday
Date: April 28, 2026
Time: 11:00 a.m.
Place: Health & Life Science Exchange (HELIX) site on Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Parking is available at the Wellness Plaza Garage, located at 97 Paterson Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Unveiling of the Workers Memorial Monument “Tree of Life”
The Workers’ Memorial Monument Committee including Joseph Demark, President of SMART Local 25, Patrick Glover, Chief Steward of IBEW Local 827, Brian Jackson, President of the Passaic County Building Trades, and Thomas Kelly, President of the Passaic Central Labor Council, will hold an unveiling of the Workers Memorial Monument “Tree of Life.”
To R.S.V.P. for this event call: (973) 595-7953
or email labormuseum@gmail.com.
Day: Tuesday
Date: April 28, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Place: Tilt Street Park
407 Belmont Avenue
Haledon, NJ 07508