West Virginians who were honored at the ceremony in 2024 | News, sports, jobs

Reminds – United Minen Workers of America International President Cecil E. Roberts spoke about the importance of unions and the protection they offer to the employees. – Niamh Coomey

WHREWING – A lot of around 100 people gathered on Monday afternoon at the port of Walter Reuther at the harbor of the Heritage to honor the eight workers who died in West Virginia in 2024.

The ceremony organized by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) recognized those who have lost their lives and raised awareness of the ongoing struggle to ensure security at work for everyone. Monday was the 37th annual workers' commemorative day, a time of memory of everyone who was injured, disabled or killed at work.

Wilbert Adkins Jr., Robert Amos, Ashley Cogar, William Crandall, James Kirk, Ryan Lantz, Virgil Paynter and Colton Walls were killed last year. They worked in the public sector, in cabbage and transport.

The event spokesman stood in front of the Reuther statue, many mentioned him and his effects on their speeches. Reuther was a civil rights activist and leader of the American union movement and President of the United Automobile Workers Union for more than 20 years.

The international president of United Minen Workers of America, Cecil E. Roberts, held a passionate keynote speech on the frequent unjust treatment of workers and the role that unions play with the security of employees.

Roberts emphasized the millions of families who lost people all year round due to deaths in the workplace and the importance of continued activism efforts.

“If you really want to honor these fallen workers. Don't do it in one day,” said Roberts. “Yes, we will read the names of those who have fallen last year. But what about those who fell last year, last year, the year before?”

Roberts said that when an employee dies at work work, employers offer apologies. Unions are working to ensure that it does not happen again.

“The plant manager or the mini preliminary workers will not remember this year. But this local union officer who knocked on the door will never forget this person who worked next to him, and it never begins,” said Roberts.

The President of the Marshall-Wetzel-Tyler work council, Art “Sonny” Oakland, found that more than 21,000 carbon residents in West Virginia have died at work since 1883 in West Virginia. This does not include the countless workers who died due to their work on illnesses and other diseases.

“Everyone has the right to work and come home to their friends and families every day. They call these laws that protect us in relation to the blood blood laws because someone has died due to a problem,” said Oakland.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that in the United States in 2023 more than 5,000 fatal working injuries were present in the USA and that millions were injured or became sick due to their task.

“Obviously our job is not yet finished,” said Josh Sword, the President of West Virginia Afl-Cio. “The occupational safety laws of our nation are dangerously weak and make it possible for numerous employers to violate the law without consequence or effects.”

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA), which is supposed to protect workers from dangers at the workplace, was officially signed in the law on April 28, 1971. The legislation to cancel the OSHA is currently proposed.

“We can all play a role in this, right?” Said sword. “Our promise is to continue to fight until a day on April 28th, the workers' commemorative day, will not give any names for reading.”

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