Workers Memorial Day: Honoring the fallen
Two union brothers lose their lives in 2010

UAW health and safety activists have marked Workers Memorial Day on April 28 since its inception in 1989. We observe this day, not just to honor the dead, but also to continue to seek stronger safety and health protections, better standards and enforcement, and fair and just compensation around the globe.

Tens of thousands of American workers are killed by workplace injuries and occupational diseases every year, with countless others permanently disabled, injured or made ill.

“We often use the phrase ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ when speaking of organizing workers. But that also rings true when you’re talking about worker safety,” said UAW President Bob King. “Safety standards are a priority for our union – not just for our workers, but for all workers globally. We will not rest until all workers are protected.”

This year, we pay tribute to the two UAW members who lost their lives on the job: Claude Brock Jr. of UAW Local 1166 and Anthony Marshall of UAW Local 155.

Brother Brock, 61, was a millwright with 16 years of seniority at Chrysler LLC’s Kokomo Casting Plant facility in Kokomo, Ind.

On Dec. 31, 2010, Brock and another millwright were assigned to troubleshoot and repair an incline scrap conveyor in a die cast area. The conveyor transports scrap castings from a recovery system located in a basement area to a scrap gondola (also known as a roll-off container) on the first floor. They had just finished welding reinforcements to the side chutes on the conveyor when Brock walked around the back to look at the completed work.

Brock lost his footing, fell backward toward the lubrication system and over a guardrail protecting an opening to the basement area – about 20 feet to the basement floor below.

Brother Marshall, 45, was a machine operator with five years of seniority at Allied Metals in Troy, Mich.

On Jan. 5, 2011, he was operating a metal washing/sorting system. His workstation was positioned beside a conveyor system and a shaker table. Regular job tasks included reaching into the shaker table to remove nonconforming metal. While doing so, his clothing became entangled in the end of a belt conveyor, and he was pulled into the equipment between the belt conveyor and a reciprocating conveyor. Emergency stop pull cords on the side rails of the conveyor had been disconnected at the time of the incident.

Marshall was trapped for about 10 minutes as co-workers, police and fire rescue tried to free him. By the time he was removed from the machinery, Marshall was unconscious. He died from his injuries nearly two weeks later on Jan. 18.

Workers should be guaranteed a good job and safe workplace, with decent wages, health care and retirement benefits. Unfortunately, we are still fighting to protect workers at worksites where safety and health protections were eroded under the Bush administration.

At least 8 million public employees, flight attendants and other workers are without any Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard protections.

We must urge Congress to pass the Protect America’s Workers Act to strengthen worker rights, OSHA standards, penalties and enforcement. And advocate for expanded coverage to the millions of workers who have no OSHA protection – because even one life lost is too many.

Gwynne Marie Cobb