Rockford United Labor honors Workers’ Memorial Day, urges safer workplaces

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Union members and advocates gathered in Rockford for Workers’ Memorial Day to remember those who died on the job over the past year.

The event was organized by Rockford United Labor, who represent over 25,000 workers in the area.

Mayor Tom McNamara, Rep. Maurice West (D), and Sen. Steve Stadelman (D) also spoke at the event.

Advocates expressed the need for more training and apprenticeships for workers, while others shared concerns about federal budget cuts and layoffs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not been cut, but advocates say it could experience ripple effects from the closure of other agencies.

Paul Nolley, the executive director of Project First Rate, said, “Protections for workers on the job, whether it’s construction or other industries, need to continue to be strengthened. And what we see, unfortunately, at this point in time, is they’re actually trying to roll back those protections. So we’re kind of working backwards instead of making progress on the issue.”

Workers’ Memorial Day is held on April 28th every year to commemorate the 1917 founding of OSHA.