“Hundreds of workers from community organizations, unions and faith-based groups rallied Sunday to observe Workers’ Memorial Day.
Despite the Occupational Safety and Health Act, workers continue to find themselves at great risk of exposure to dangerous workplace conditions. In December 2016, Alvaro Esteban of Freehold died on the job at the Edgeboro Landfill in East Brunswick after being crushed by a trash compactor. He was 22.
Though progress has been made in reducing the number of incidents, workers continue to be injured on the job. Those at the rally added that even today, not all injuries are reported.
‘Seeing the names and photos of the fallen workers memorialized at this event lined up across a large hall is a somber experience. We were glad to see so many allies in attendance expressing support for families dealing with the most tragic of circumstances, while also demanding protections to prevent more tragedies from occurring,’ said Dan Fatton, executive director of the NJ Work Environment Council (WEC), an alliance of 70 labor, community and environmental organizations advocating for safe, secure jobs and a healthy, sustainable environment.”
Read the entire piece by Cheryl Makin on MyCentralJersey.com
