[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 84 (Wednesday, May 1, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 25563-25564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10447]



[[Page 25561]]

Vol. 78

Wednesday,

No. 84

May 1, 2013

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 8964--Workers Memorial Day, 2013
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 84 / Wednesday, May 1, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 25563]]

                Proclamation 8964 of April 26, 2013

                
Workers Memorial Day, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our country boasts the world's most talented, driven, 
                effective labor force. American workers power our homes 
                and feed our families. They raise skyscrapers, 
                transport goods to market, and manufacture products 
                that are the envy of the world. Together, they form the 
                backbone of our economy. As a Nation, we have an 
                obligation to protect the men and women who perform 
                these vital tasks. Yet tragically, thousands of 
                American workers die on the job each year, and millions 
                more suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. On 
                Workers Memorial Day, we honor them, and we reaffirm 
                that no one should have to put their life on the line 
                to bring home a paycheck.

                At the turn of the 20th century, laborers faced 
                hazardous conditions. Factory doors were locked from 
                the outside, which prevented quick evacuation in 
                emergencies. A combination of shoddy equipment and 
                fatigue from long shifts made serious injury and death 
                all too common. Career-ending injuries often led to 
                poverty and starvation.

                From mine shafts to railroads to factory floors, 
                workers began to speak out. Thanks to generations of 
                union organizers and advocates, conditions slowly 
                improved. But it was not until decades later that our 
                laws assured the right to a safe workplace. The Federal 
                Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969 established 
                comprehensive health and safety standards for the 
                mining industry, and the Occupational Safety and Health 
                Act of 1970 enacted similar standards for all workers. 
                These statutes remain the cornerstone of our 
                protections today, and my Administration remains 
                committed to enforcing them by ensuring workers know 
                their rights, worksites comply with the law, and 
                wrongdoers are held accountable.

                Today, our thoughts and prayers are with all those who 
                have lost a loved one to a workplace accident or work-
                related illness. But we owe them more than prayers. We 
                owe them action and accountability. While we cannot 
                eliminate all risk from the world's most dangerous 
                professions, we can guarantee that when a worker steps 
                up to an assembly line or into a mine shaft, their 
                country stands alongside them, protecting their safety 
                and their stake in the American dream.

                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, 2013, 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.

[[Page 25564]]

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

[FR Doc. 2013-10447
Filed 4-30-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F3