04/25/2026
We gathered this evening to remember those who lost their lives on the job and will continue to do so each year!
Here in the Commonwealth,
79 workers left for work and never returned home.
79 families forever changed.
79 reminders that behind every failure of safety, there is a human cost.
These risks are not behind us... they are still present, and still growing.
In Industries like Poultry, line speeds continue to increase, pushing workers beyond safe limits. Faster lines mean less time to work safely, more injuries, and greater strain on the
workers who make sure food is in our grocery stores daily. These are not accidents... they
are consequences of decisions that put production ahead of protections!
We cannot accept a system where oversight is weakened, enforcement is under-resourced,
and workers are left to bear the burden of those actions.
We must demand stronger protections. We must insist on real accountability, for meaningfulpenalties for those who violate safety laws.
We must protect workers who speak up. We must ensure that the agencies tasked with
keeping workers safe have the resources that they need.
We must continue to speak up on these issues,because every worker deserves dignity.
Every worker deserves safety, and every worker deserves to come home!
To paraphrase Mother Jones "We mourn for those we have lost but must continue to fight
like hell for the living!"
National Workers Memorial Day is April 28th! If you have the ability to attend one of these events in your region please do so!
Labor leaders, elected officials and local workers gathered for the 27th annual Workers Memorial Day on the courthouse lawn Friday afternoon, hosted by the Owensboro Council of Labor.
