FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

APRIL 28, 2020

[TRIANGLE, VA.] United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts issued the following statement today, in commemoration of Workers Memorial Day:

“The United Mine Workers have long fought for better health and safety on the job, as we have lost more members than any other union to disasters and occupational diseases. Indeed, miners and their families led the way in demanding creation of the first federal occupational safety enforcement agency, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), in the wake of the Farmington #9 explosion in 1968.

“In 2020, when workers in every occupation are more at risk than ever, we need America’s safety agencies to take strong actions to ensure all workers are safe on the job. American workers are on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic and agencies like MSHA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) need to take immediate steps to protect the people who are protecting America.

“No one should question whether they are going to make it home to their loved ones at the end of their shift. But millions of workers across America are confronted with that very concern every day. Until our federal government takes its responsibility to protect workers seriously, those concerns will only grow.

“As we recognize Workers Memorial Day 2020, we pray for those workers killed or injured on the job this year, last year, and every year. And we call on all Americans to join us as we get right back to fighting for the living.”

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Click here to watch the 2020 UMWA Workers Memorial Video.