Mourn for the dead, fight like hell for the living!

This post is written by Ron Kaminkow of Railroad Workers United and came to us through the World Federation of Trade Unions website. It was written prior to Workers Memorial Day, commemorated on April 28, but it makes some important and lasting points about workers health and safety in the railroad industry. This post does not represent the opinions of the Marion-Polk-Yamhill Central Labor Chaptewr or the Oregon AFL-CIO.

Every year on April 28th, workers across the United States and the world recognize Workers Memorial Day to honor, remember, and call for action on behalf of our friends and allies killed, injured, or made ill on the job. Far too many of us who labor across industries have been subject to workplace hazards that can kill or permanently disable us. It is our right to go to work and know we will come home safely to our family and loved ones.

While worker fatalities on the railroad are down in recent years, we are still subject to management-led policies like PSR, "High-Viz" attendance, and long and heavy trains that spur unsafe working conditions. And we don't need to remind railroaders that, during this pandemic, working people like us have and are falling from preventable deaths. "Essential workers" — including nurses and doctors, grocery store staff, and transportation workers — have been on the front lines for over two years, and will continue to show up. The nation (rightly) calls us heroes, but heroes deserve a real investment by management in truly safe working conditions, and in worker-centered policies that protect us over profits.

This Workers Memorial Day, we remember those who have sacrificed their lives and health while performing their duties. We will never stop fighting for a healthy and safe workplace environment.

In the words of the famous labor union organizer "Mother" Mary Harris Jones, we must always remember to "Mourn for the dead, and fight like hell for the living!"

Ron Kaminkow
RWU Trustee
secretary@railroadworkersunited.org

twitter tag: #WorkersMemorialDay