VIDEO: A Workers' Memorial Day Message from Rep. Titus
Washington, DC,
April 28, 2016
April 28, 2016
Rep. Titus takes a moment on Workers' Memorial Day to honor those who have lost their lives building our communities. "I am Dina Titus, your representative from the First Congressional District. "Today is Worker’s Memorial Day, and I want to take a moment to honor the workers who lost their lives building our communities. "All workers deserve the right to a safe workplace. Unfortunately, some workers who leave their families in the morning don’t make it home at night "Every day some 150 workers lose their lives as a result of hazardous working conditions. "For some workers, the odds are even higher. The job fatality rate for Latino workers is nine percent higher than the average. That rate for workers over the age of 65 is three times higher than the average. In 2014, women were the victims in two out of three workplace violence incidents and suffered 38 percent of lost-time injuries. "To address this problem, we must send a message that employers will be held accountable if they neglect to care for their workers. "We must pass the Protecting America’s Workers Act so we can crack down on employers who fail to recognize that a workplace free of fatalities and injuries is the only workplace for Americans. "I am co-sponsoring the law because it would recognize that we need more officials to monitor working conditions and create an atmosphere that encourages reporting accidents and violence on the job site. "The cost of on-the-job injuries is at least $250 billion per year and more than 7 million workplace accidents go under reported. That is unacceptable. "No one deserves to have their lives at risk when they are providing for their families. "That’s why we must mourn for the dead and fight for the living. "Thank you." |