Vol. 86, No. 82
Friday, April 30, 2021
Proclamation 10188 of April 27, 2021
Workers Memorial Day, 2021
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
America’s workers are the backbone of our economy. In every State, territory, and Tribal land, they leave their homes and families and head to work—applying their grit and skill to create, serve, and service all those things that make our world turn. Even during our Nation’s most difficult periods, American workers have always persevered, ensuring that our communities remain resilient and that our Nation stands ready to confront the unforeseen challenges of each new generation. Though workers make tremendous sacrifices—especially essential workers who selflessly serve their communities during times of crisis—none of them should have to risk injury, illness, or death in order to provide for themselves and their families. Tragically, thousands of workers are killed and millions more are hurt or fall ill every year in the workplace—incidents that are often preventable. On the 50th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, we reflect on the workers who have tragically lost their lives or have been harmed in the workplace, and we reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every American worker has a safe and healthy work environment.
Over the past century, labor unions have fought hard—very often successfully—to draw attention to unsafe workplace environments and organize for safer work conditions and protections from the Federal Government. In 1935, the National Labor Relations Act codified private-sector workers’ right to organize, collectively bargain, and strike. Decades later, the passage of the Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act in 1969 and the Occupational Safety and Health Act in 1970 enshrined a promise that the wanton indifference to workers’ lives—the days of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the Farmington Mine explosion—would no longer be tolerated. Establishing and enforcing Federal workplace safety and health standards has undoubtedly saved lives.
Despite the progress we have made cementing workplace protections into law, many workers still fear retaliation and retribution from management when they are asked to perform unsafe tasks or work in unsanitary conditions. This fear forces many workers to remain silent, putting their lives and the lives of their colleagues at risk. Alone, a single worker is often at the mercy of their boss, with little chance of rectifying an unsafe working environment created by employers who cut corners in the name of profit. United, and protected by law from intimidation and coercion from their employers, workers can collectively demand improved working conditions.
In an economic system that puts too much power in the hands of wealthy corporations and Wall Street, unions give workers a way to band together, wield their full power, and stand on equal footing with management. Unions not only protect the physical wellbeing of workers, but they also protect their financial security; they protect workers’ equity, too, helping ensure that workplaces are free from harassment and discrimination. Over the past half century, we have seen the percentage of American workers represented by unions decline dramatically. It is no surprise that during this same period, the average incomes of the bottom 90 percent of households in America have only risen by about 1 percent. The decades-long assault we’ve
