[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 84 (Monday, May 2, 2011)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 24785-24786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-10811]



[[Page 24783]]

Vol. 76

Monday,

No. 84

May 2, 2011

Part V





The President





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Proclamation 8658--Workers Memorial Day, 2011
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  Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 84 / Monday, May 2, 2011 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 24785]]

                Proclamation 8658 of April 27, 2011

                
Workers Memorial Day, 2011

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every year in America, nearly four million workers 
                suffer an occupational injury or illness, and thousands 
                die from work-related injuries. These preventable 
                tragedies disable workers, devastate families, and 
                erode our economy. On Workers Memorial Day, we 
                celebrate the improvements in American workplaces and 
                remember those who have been injured, sickened, or 
                killed on the job. This year, we also recognize the 
                40th anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health 
                Administration, and we pay tribute to all those who 
                have dedicated their lives to ensuring safety in the 
                workplace.

                The protections working Americans enjoy today were not 
                easily gained. They had to be won by generations of 
                courageous men and women, fighting to secure decent 
                working conditions, standing up for those most 
                vulnerable, and sometimes risking their own economic 
                security and lives. One century ago in New York City, 
                nearly 150 young garment workers either burned or 
                jumped to their deaths when a fire ignited in the 
                Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. This senseless tragedy 
                inspired a movement, calling Americans to pay attention 
                to workplace conditions and bestowing a new relevance 
                on the importance of unions. Organized labor has 
                continued to give voice to millions of working men and 
                women by representing their views and fighting for good 
                working conditions and fair wages.

                Until 1970, many Americans still did not have the legal 
                right to a safe workplace, and many employers were not 
                legally obligated to control hazards. The Federal Coal 
                Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 and the Occupational 
                Safety and Health Act of 1970 fundamentally changed 
                American workplaces. These laws provided workers the 
                right to safe and healthy workplaces, ensured workers 
                were protected from dangerous conditions, and provided 
                protections to employees who reported safety and health 
                hazards.

                In the four decades since those landmark laws were 
                enacted, we have seen great progress in conditions for 
                working Americans. Federal agencies are helping reduce 
                workplace injury rates and control exposure to deadly 
                hazards by using research on injury and illness 
                causation, implementing common sense standards, and 
                promoting cooperative programs. The Department of Labor 
                is continuing to enforce and improve our workplace 
                safety regulations and is partnering with the 
                Department of Justice to make sure the full force of 
                the law is brought to bear in cases where workers are 
                put in harm's way. Many of our Nation's employers have 
                embraced exemplary worker injury and illness prevention 
                programs--efforts that exceed Federal safety and health 
                standards. Together, these improvements have fostered 
                innovation, increased productivity, and bolstered 
                competitiveness while saving countless lives in the 
                process.

                On Workers Memorial Day, we reflect on the vital 
                achievements of the past and recommit to keeping all 
                workers safe and healthy in the future. We owe nothing 
                less to the countless working Americans who have built 
                and shaped our Nation, and to those who have lost their 
                lives or been injured on the job.

[[Page 24786]]

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim April 28, 2011, as 
                Workers Memorial Day. I call upon all Americans to 
                participate in ceremonies and activities in memory of 
                those killed or injured due to unsafe working 
                conditions.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-seventh day of April, in the year of our Lord 
                two thousand eleven, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and thirty-
                fifth.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2011-10811
Filed 4-29-11; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3195-W1-P