The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“WORKER MEMORIAL DAY” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Senate section on pages S4216-S4217 on May 4, 1998.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
WORKER MEMORIAL DAY
Mr. GRAMS. Mr. President, I rise to remember the American workers who have suffered injuries or died while at the work places in my home state of Minnesota and across the country.
As my colleagues may know, since 1989 the unions of the AFL-CIO have recognized April 28 as ``Worker Memorial Day'' to commemorate the millions of workplace injuries, illnesses and deaths that occur each year. In addition, many unions throughout the world now mark April 28 as an ``International Day of Mourning.''
In Minnesota, AFL-CIO affiliates commemorated Worker Memorial Day with a wide variety of events around the state. This past Tuesday at noon, members of Minneapolis and St. Paul building trades met near the State Capitol in St. Paul to remember workers who have been killed or injured in the job. A bell tolled once for each local construction worker who died in the past year of job-related causes.
In Grand Forks, the Northern Valley Labor Council and the Grand Forks Building and Construction Trades Council placed Workers Memorial Day stickers on their clothing at work. Statewide, a ``Minnesota's Workforce Minute'' Message about Workers' Memorial Day aired several times over the 29 stations of Minnesota News Network's Lifestyle Network.
Lastly, the Minnesota Department of Transportation and local unions in the Twin Cities and St. Cloud participated in a number of Worker Memorial Day activities including the broadcast of a Workers Memorial Day message from the Metro Division Engineer over the MnDOT Public address and radio communication systems. This message preceded the observance of a moment of silence at 2 p.m.
Mr. President, this year also marks the 28th anniversary of the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. In 1970, President Nixon signed legislation which created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish and enforce labor standards and the National Institute for Occupational Safety Health (NIOSH) to conduct research investigations.
At the Department of Labor bill signing, President Nixon underscored the goal of this historic legislation. President Nixon noted how the bill's enactment, ``. . . Represents in its culmination the American system at its best: Democrats, Republicans, the House, the Senate, the White House, business, labor, all cooperating in a common goal--the saving of lives, the avoiding of injuries, making the places of work for 55 million Americans safer and more pleasant places.''
Mr. President, the goal of the Occupational Safety and Health Act is to prevent injuries, illnesses, and fatalities in the workplace. Through statistics provided by the Department of Labor it appears as though the intent of this Act has achieved some level of success. Unfortunately, these numbers are still too high.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 6,000 workplace fatalities in 1996, the lowest level in five years. There were 6.2 million workplace injuries or illnesses among private sector firms with more than 11 or more employees, about 400,000 fewer than in 1995. In my home state alone, 92 Minnesotans lost their lives, and 138,000 suffered injuries or illnesses on the job in 1996.
I have always supported employers and employees in their effort to create safe and healthy work places without cumbersome federal regulations. Workers are a business' most valuable asset and they deserve safe and healthy work places that will enable them to better perform their jobs. Safe working environments, achieved by restoring common sense and cooperation among workers, job providers and the federal government, result in smart business.
I strongly believe we need to continue to promote better safety and public health standards. One way this can be accomplished is through comprehensive reform of the Federal regulatory process. For this reason, I am proud to be a cosponsor of S. 981, the ``Regulatory Improvement Act of 1997'' sponsored by Senator Carl Levin, one of the leading health, safety and environmental experts in the Senate.
In my view, legislation such as the Regulatory Improvement Act of 1997 will ensure a more open and accountable regulatory process which will improve our health, safety and environmental protections while reducing the regulatory burden on those subject to those laws. It will not compromise health or safety protections. I recently wrote the Majority Leader urging that this legislation receive consideration on the Senate floor, and I am hopeful that we will have a debate on how to best ensure safe and healthy work places in the coming weeks.
On each Workers Memorial Day, I urge my colleagues to remember those American workers who have lost their lives or were injured on the job. Congress, the Administration, labor and business, must work together as they did nearly 30 years ago, to ensure that there are adequate protections to prevent unnecessary injuries and fatalities in the future and improve the lives of all of our nation's workers.
____________________
