[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6005]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               TRIBUTE TO AMERICA'S WORKING MEN AND WOMEN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2006

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to 
America's working men and women. These are the mineworkers, 
firefighters, nurses, janitors, postal employees, and hundreds of other 
workers who often are exposed to serious injury or even death while on 
the job. Friday, April 28, is Workers Memorial Day, a time when we 
remember the thousands of Americans who have been killed or injured 
while doing their jobs.
  I also want my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to 
join me today in taking a moment to remember Jeffrey Wroten, a Maryland 
Division of Correction's officer who was killed in January while 
guarding a hospitalized patient.
  This also has been a deadly year for coal miners. In January, 12 
miners died during the Sago Mine tragedy, and, Nation Wide, 24 coal 
miners have lost their lives this year. For the first time since 1994, 
there has been an increase in workplace fatalities. In 2005, more than 
5,700 workers were killed on the job and more than 50,000 Americans 
died from occupational diseases.
  We pledge to them that we will rededicate our efforts to fight for 
safe working conditions; we pledge to them that we will fight for 
decent wages; and we pledge to them that we will make sure they have 
good pensions and health care benefits.
  I also want to commend the many unions throughout the Nation that 
work everyday to protect American workers. The best way to help ensure 
worker safety is to make sure workers have the freedom to join unions 
so they can fight for their rights.
  I urge my colleagues in the House to join me in honoring America's 
working men and women by ensuring they have the rights and protections 
they need to stay safe on the job.

                          ____________________