Workers' Memorial Day is an international day of remembrance for workers who are killed on the job or die from work-related illnesses. It is observed on April 28, a date commemorating the creation of OSHA in 1970.

This is an important day for the Kids' Chance community. We support the families of workers who are affected by these issues, especially their children. Recognizing Workers' Memorial Day is another way to show that support to our kids.

Kids' Chance of America (KCOA) Membership Director Cheryl Doucette recently interviewed Judy Schurke, President of the Board of Directors for Kids' Chance of Washington (KCWA) to learn more about Workers' Memorial Day and how KCWA observes it.

Understanding Workers' Memorial Day

According to Judy, it’s important to understand the history of Workers' Memorial Day. “It was founded in the late 80’s by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), to raise awareness about work-related deaths and the importance of worker protections,” Judy said.  The national Worker Memorial Day motto is 'Mourn for the dead, fight for the living.'

Each state recognizes this day in April their own way. Judy recommends each Kids' Chance state organization work to understand what is already happening in their state and find a way to plug in where it's appropriate. The Kids' Chance mission is truly relevant to the families of the workers who are memorialized. “States can start by reaching out to their state labor organizations or the regulators and commissioners in their state to see how they can support their efforts,” she said.

Remembering as a Community

KCWA is invited to the Workers’ Memorial Day of Remembrance each year.  They are proud to participate and have built many lasting relationships over the years.

“We observe Worker Memorial Day as part of the Washington worker safety and health and workers' comp community,” said Judy. The Washington Department of Labor and Industries, which is the state regulatory agency for both Washington occupational safety and health and workers compensation, hosts a memorial event to honor the workers who have died from accidents or work-related illnesses in the past year.

The families of lost workers are invited to attend and submit photographs of their loved ones to be displayed. The Governor, labor and business leaders, and a representative of KCWA speak, and there is a ceremonial bell ringing while reading the names of each worker.

“We have a representative sitting outside the auditorium with Planning for the Future brochures,” said Judy. The representative is there to answer questions and make family members aware of Kids' Chance. While it's important to let eligible families know Kids' Chance is there, Judy says it’s important not to detract from the larger central theme of the day of remembering the uniqueness of each life lost and rededication to workplace safety.

Talking About Workers' Memorial Day with Your Community

The first step to observing Workers' Memorial Day is making sure your community knows about it.

This year, KCWA plans to share a testimonial on Facebook and on their website from a student who lost a parent. “With Workers' Memorial Day, it's especially important to be sensitive to the fact that most of our students have a parent who was seriously injured, which is not the same to the family who has lost a loved one,” Judy cautioned.

Judy stresses that is important for each state to use the stats (# of deaths) specific to their state when they talk about Workers' Memorial Day. The end goal of all the efforts always lead back to bringing awareness to increasing safety for workers.

Be Part of the Conversation

Kids' Chance organizations think about the children of killed and injured workers every day of the year. Workers' Memorial Day is an opportunity to bring attention to our kids and scholarship programs as part of a bigger conversation happening in the labor, workers' compensation, and worker health and safety communities, as well as to the public.

‍Use Kids’ Chance of America's resources to begin the conversation via email, your website, and social media.