Honoring our workers, and our military service members

By Kevin Ferreira
Executive Director, Sacramento-Sierra’s BCTC

On April 28, we observe Workers’ Memorial Day, a day of remembrance and action when we honor those who went to work and never came home, and also those who suffered work-related injuries or illnesses. The date is significant as it’s held on the anniversary of when the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) was enacted in 1971.

Even with all the safety improvements since then, the numbers are still hard to read. In 2024, the most recent year for which we have data, more than 5,000 workers were killed on the job in the United States. That is about 14 people every single day. On top of that, an estimated 135,000 workers died from illnesses caused by their jobs—things like toxic chemicals and dust that damage the body over time. All together, we lost more than 380 working people every day to job-related causes.

Construction is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, as our members know. The fatality rate is 9.2 deaths per 100,000 workers. That is nearly three times the national average. These are the men and women who build our homes, our roads, our hospitals and our schools. They deserve to come home safe, and they deserve to be honored for the dangers they face every day.

Now for the good news. The overall job fatality rate in the U.S. fell to 3.3 per 100,000 workers in 2024. That is the lowest it has been in years. Reported workplace injuries and illnesses dropped to just under 3.1 million. That reflects the efforts that unions such as the Building Trades and the Sacramento-Sierra’s Building & Construction Trades Council put in every day to ensure our members are safe on the job. Protecting our members is the core of what we do, and we are proud to take on that fight every day.

We have made real progress, here in Sacramento and across this great country. But we must keep pushing, keep fighting—and I promise you, we will.

This year, Memorial Day falls on May 25, when we honor the men and women who served in the military and lost their lives so the rest of us can live and work in safety. They show us what integrity and courage look like. The labor movement has always stood with them and continues to do so.

One of the best examples of that partnership is Helmets to Hardhats. It is a national nonprofit program backed by fifteen major construction trade unions. It connects veterans, National Guard members, and reservists with good careers in the Building Trades. The training is free. Veterans can also use their GI Bill benefits while they learn. No experience is needed. The program has helped more than 100,000 veterans start new careers. Sacramento’s union trades have been proud partners in that work.

It is a natural fit. The skills that make a good soldier—discipline, teamwork, showing up and getting the job done—are the same skills that make a great tradesperson. And union jobs offer what veterans have earned: good pay, strong benefits, and a career built on hard work.

This month we grieve the workers we have lost. We honor those who died in the service of our country, and those who continue to serve. And we commit to the work still ahead. Every worker deserves to go home safe.