“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” - Winston Churchill

September 3rd, 1991 will forever be seared in the hearts of North Carolinians as among the greatest workplace tragedies in our state’s history. A fire in a chicken processing plant in Hamlet, NC caused the death of 25 workers and injured another 55. Today, we honor those workers and their families.

Lives were lost and forever changed in a workplace tragedy that should never have happened. The lives and limbs of North Carolina’s workers should never be considered a cost of doing business.

My mother worked in various meatpacking plants during my childhood and sustained a workplace injury. That experience put me on a path to becoming an attorney with a focus on labor and employment law, and eventually your Democratic nominee for NC Labor Commissioner.

For months, COVID-19 has ravaged meatpacking plants and various industries across our state -- yet the Department of Labor has failed to take action to protect workers. We must learn from our history and proactively ensure working families have the safe and healthy work environments we all deserve. But, change does not happen by chance.

Make a plan to vote in the 2020 election. Make sure all of your friends and family members know what is at stake this year.

For information on how to register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and more, visit ncdp.org/voter-resources. Thank you for standing up for working families.

Sincerely,