{"id":6905,"date":"2024-04-28T07:21:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-28T07:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=6905"},"modified":"2024-04-28T07:21:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-28T07:21:02","slug":"usa-afl-cio-releases-2024-death-on-the-job-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/28april.org\/?p=6905","title":{"rendered":"USA: AFL-CIO Releases 2024 Death on the Job report"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>On 25 April, ahead of\u00a0 Workers Memorial Day on April 28, the AFL-CIO released their 33rd annual report, Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.<\/a> This annual report serves as a national and state-by-state profile of worker safety and health, offering direction to policymakers and regulatory bodies as they strive to address the scourge of working people facing death, injury and illness at work. Among the report\u2019s startling data are the disproportionate rates of Latino and Black workers at risk of dying on the job. Black workers are facing the highest job fatality rates in nearly 15 years and Latino workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job, compared to all other workers.<\/p>\n

The report also sheds light on the enormous cost of job injuries and illness on our society\u2014an estimated $174 billion to $348 billion a year\u2014and the flat-funded budget for job safety agencies to fulfill their growing duties, which do not even keep up with inflation. It also outlines key strategies to address this crisis, including a renewed commitment to regulatory oversight agencies, improved data and transparency, stronger deterrents against employer retaliation, and prioritizing standard-setting and enforcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite workers\u2019 hard-won safety and health rights, this report shows the fight is far from over,\u201d\u00a0said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. \u201cToo many workers face retaliation for reporting unsafe working conditions or injuries, while low penalties fail to deter employers from following the law. The alarming disparities in workplace fatalities among workers of color are unacceptable, symptomatic of deeply ingrained racial inequity and the need to pay increased attention to the dangerous industries that treat workers as disposable. As we honor those who have fallen this Workers Memorial Day, we remain committed to holding corporations accountable so that all jobs are safe jobs\u2014where every worker can return home safely at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis report exposes an urgent crisis for workers of color and reaffirms what we\u2019ve long known: When we talk about justice for workers, we must prioritize racial equity,\u201d\u00a0said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. \u201cThe fact that Black and Latino workers continue to die on the job at disproportionate rates demands a reckoning with the failure of employers to protect them. We must honor the lives lost on the job with action, as we recommit ourselves to advancing safety, health and equity for all workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s report reveals that in 2022:<\/p>\n