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On July 10, 1896, a young electrical worker fell to his death from atop a pole in Washington, DC, while working for the Potomac Electric Light Company. Only 38 years old, Henry Miller, the first president of the NBEW, which later became the IBEW, died like so many other electrical workers of his time - while on the job.

In the years since, safety in the workplace has improved markedly. But it was not until 1960 that Congress passed the Occupational Health and Safety Act that set minimal safety standards. Yet even now more than 60,000 workers die each year from workplace injuries and illnesses while another 6 million are injured on the job.

Saturday, April 28th, has been set aside as Workers Memorial Day by the unions of the AFL-CIO to remember and honor those workers who have suffered in the workplace. The IBEW joins other unions in renewing our promise to the American worker that he is entitled to a safe place to work. We will continue to fight safety rollbacks and to seek improvements in workplace protections.

The Republican Congress and the present Administration have repealed the new Ergonomics rules that offered much needed repetitive motion injury protections for workers. President George Bush's proposed budget for next year funds a tax cut for the rich while reducing basic funding for worker safety programs like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that sets and enforces worker safety standards.

Help us to honor Workers Memorial Day 2001 by telling your member of Congress that you think worker safety is still important. Use our Congressional Action section to find your representative's phone number or address and urge him or her to back a new ergonomics standard and to adequately fund OSHA and other worker safety programs to keep them strong. We must not go back to the days of Henry Miller.

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