Chairman Miller Statement on Workers Memorial Day

Monday, April 28, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, issued the following statement today in honor of Workers Memorial Day.

“This year’s Workers Memorial Day comes during a time of change in Washington. Over the past year and a half, Democrats in Congress have pushed for a new direction in order to improve health and safety in U.S. workplaces.

“Throughout its two terms, the Bush administration has done everything in its power to roll back basic workplace protections that workers have fought for decades to achieve. We are working hard to reverse this course. The Education and Labor Committee and Workforce Protections Subcommittee have held 10 hearings on workplace health and safety, dealing with hazards long neglected in coal mining, food, oil refining, and other industries. We have passed legislation in the House to prevent popcorn lung disease and improve mine health and safety. This week, we will vote on legislation to prevent combustible dust explosions like the one in Port Wentworth, Georgia, that killed 13 workers earlier this year.

“More than 5,800 workers died on the job last year – that’s 16 workers every day. We owe it to these men and women – and to their loved ones – to do everything we can to make sure that all American workers return home safely to their families when their workday is over.”

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