Amid threats to worker safety, advocates commemorate Workers Memorial Day

Elie William, a 45-year electrician’s assistant working on a renovation project at the Waldorf Astoria, was the first worker to die in New York City this year.

The construction worker fell 40 feet through a drywall ceiling from a suspended catwalk Jan. 2.

Labor advocates, elected officials and workers gathered Monday near the Park Avenue hotel where William died to commemorate Workers Memorial Day, the annual event honoring those who died on the job in the past year. 

“Workers Memorial Day reminds us that worker health and safety is not a luxury, like those at the Waldorf Astoria probably thought. Worker safety is a matter of life and death,” said Charlene Obernauer, the executive director of the New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, said during the ceremony.

Advocates highlighted that William, originally from Haiti, had been in New York City just six weeks.

“Immigrants perform some of the most dangerous work in New York City, with some of the fewest protections. Whether they're in agriculture, delivery work, construction or meatpacking, these jobs are where workplace injuries and fatalities occur, and they're at alarming rates,” Obernauer said.

She said recent efforts by the Trump administration to cut funding at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and to increase immigration raids puts all workers at risk.

“When ICE raids workplaces, safety becomes secondary to survival,” Obernauer said. “Workers who might speak up about missing guardrails, or faulty equipment or fake training know that visibility can mean vulnerability. These sick policies hurt immigrant families and undermine safety for everyone.”

Since last year’s Workers Memorial Day, at least 41 workers have died on the job in New York City.

“Over 40 workers, who just like any number of you woke up in the morning, went to work healthy and did not come home to their families,” said Brendan Griffith, the chief of staff at the New York City Central Labor Council.

Among those known to have died while at work during the past year, 16 worked in construction, making it the deadliest industry.

“Every single one of us deserves to return home at night. Unfortunately we continue to see in the construction industry unscrupulous contractors [and] unsafe conditions,” said City Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, who chairs the Council’s Civil Service and Labor Committee. “Today, we mourn for those that are gone, those empty seats at the dinner table tonight, but we also make a commitment, a living memorial, to those that are still here that we must ensure that our policies meet the moment, that workers at the margins are protected, that each of you has the resources and the conditions to return to your family. Only then will we then see justice for those that have fallen.”

Ned Hanlon, president of the American Guild of Musical Artists, noted that safety was an issue that affects workers in every industry.

“Every night I sing at the Metropolitan Opera House, which is a safety nightmare with set pieces literally flying around all over the place — and the only reason I stay safe is because a) the collective bargaining agreement that we have negotiated and b) because of my union brothers and sisters, particularly our stagehands,” he said. “Because the thing is, we have to keep each other safe, because the bosses don't care, they're not going to do it.”

De La Rosa and Father Brian Jordan of the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi read aloud the names of the workers who died. Although 41 names were read, it’s possible that some worker deaths were unaccounted for since there is no official way to track the deaths, 

Which is why, Obernauer said, it's especially important for the Council to pass legislation introduced last year that would require employers to report workplace fatalities.

Many of those who died were deliveristas, but “a lot of times there are incidents where a bicyclist was killed and they don't know if they were working at the time, especially because they're not typically employees of one company; they're usually independent contractors,” she explained. “So we do want to make sure that this information is tracked because you can't write good policy if you don't know what's absolutely happening, and in a lot of industries we don't really know the information.”

clewis@thechiefleader.com