Assembly Resolution No. 1262
BY: M. of A. Griffin
MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
April 28, 2026, as Workers' Memorial Day in the
State of New York
WHEREAS, Each year, across the Nation, the Labor Movement observes
Workers' Memorial Day to remember workers killed, injured, or made ill
on the job and to renew the fight for strong safety and health
protections; and
WHEREAS, For decades, workers have struggled for improved working
conditions, dignity, and respect on the job; and
WHEREAS, New York, the Empire State, has been built and made great
through the hard work and effort of working people; and
WHEREAS, Many men and women work each day in dangerous environments,
at times under arduous and perilous conditions; and
WHEREAS, The Labor Movement organized for safer working conditions
and demanded action from the government to protect working people; and
WHEREAS, On April 28, 1971, as a result of the tireless efforts of
the Labor Movement, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into
effect, granting all citizens the fundamental right to safe jobs and
creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; and
WHEREAS, Since that impactful day, unions and allies of the Labor
Movement have won several protections for workers to make jobs less
dangerous and to save lives; however, thousands of workers are still
killed each year, and millions more suffer from injury and illness due
to unsafe working conditions; and
WHEREAS, As of 2023, in the United States, 5,283 workers were killed
on the job; 385 workers died each day from hazardous working conditions;
an estimated 135,304 workers died from occupational diseases; however,
the overall job fatality rate decreased, from statistical data in
previous years, to 3.5 per 100,000 workers; employers reported nearly
3.2 million work-related injuries and illnesses, a decrease from the
previous year; and
WHEREAS, Musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive motion injuries
continue to be a major problem, accounting for approximately 28% of all
serious work-related injuries and illnesses in private industry; due to
underreporting of all workplace injuries and illnesses, accurate
accounting is not possible, with an estimate of 5.2 million to 7.8
million each year in private industry; and
WHEREAS, Chemical exposures continue to plague working people,
leading to debilitating, life-threatening diseases that are totally
preventable; the cost of job injuries and illnesses is enormous,
estimated at $174 billion to $348 billion per year, not considering the
real impact on society, families, and communities; aside from the
unfathomable grief caused by the death of a person, there are long-term
social and economic impacts on the workers' families and society; and
WHEREAS, The members of this Legislative Body are determined to
ensure that safe workplaces are the standard for all working men and
women and pause in remembrance of those who have imperiled their health
and safety or sacrificed their lives in the performance of their work;
now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 28, 2026, as
Workers' Memorial Day in the State of New York; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York.
