[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 127, 113th Congress, 1st Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
PROCLAMATION 8964--APR. 26, 2013

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.
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.
BARACK OBAMA