Workers Memorial Day Observed April 28

ESC STUDENT ART CONTEST WINNER ESC used this drawing by Lindsay Bridges of Rockingham County to illustrate the Workers Memorial Day program and poster.

The State of North Carolina’s Workers Memorial Day observance, sponsored by the Employment Security Commission of North Carolina, took place on April 28 at the ESC Courtyard in Raleigh, NC. All 50 states and more than 100 countries observe Workers Memorial Day.     “Workers Memorial Day is a time for us to reflect on the safety and well-being of our greatest resource—North Carolina’s workers,” said ESC Chairman Harry E. Payne, Jr. “Our theme for this year is ‘Safety Saves ... lives, time, jobs and money.’ Without healthy workers and safe work places, our state’s economy suffers.”

    The following interfaith prayer from the ESC’s Workers Memorial Day program reflects the solemnity of the occasion:

INTERFAITH RESPONSIVE PRAYER

    LEADER: We remember in thought and prayer those who have died from injuries or accidents in the workplace.  We share with their loved ones the loss of family members, friends and colleagues.

    ALL: We pray for those who have been injured on the job and feel forgotten and abandoned.

    LEADER: We pray for those who are in physical pain and emotional distress because of workplace injuries.

    ALL: We pray for more effective health and safety laws and their enforcement.

    LEADER: We pray for stricter health and safety standards to protect workers from hazardous substances, dangerous conditions and unsafe behavior in the workplace.

    ALL: We pray that our legislators and elected officials will be sensitive to those who are especially vulnerable in the workplace and respond to the cause of health and safety on the job and justice in the community.

    LEADER: We pray for our President, government and military leaders; our troops on the ground, in the air and on the sea; engaged in the noble effort to protect the health and safety of this nation and its citizens.

    ALL: We remember the military and civilian personnel who gave their lives in the war against Iraq.  We pray for their families and loved ones.  We pray for those who are still missing, and for their dear ones who anxiously wait to hear of their welfare.  We pray for the wounded in body, soul and spirit.

    LEADER: We pray that employers, workers and regulatory authorities will courageously address workplace safety issues and compassionately respond to the injured and the families of the deceased.

    ALL: Let us continue to recognize the many people whose work is a blessing.  Let us continue to challenge those in leadership to act with courage and integrity.  May we learn from the losses and pain of the past, the absolute necessity of working cooperatively to create a safer work place for all people, where the rights and dignity of all workers are held in the highest esteem.  And as we pray for the health and safety of workers, let us also pray for a healthier, safer and more peaceful world.

    AMEN.

    The following poem, “In Memory of the Fallen” by the Rev. Ian Lawton, is reprinted from the ESC’s Workers Memorial Day program:

IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN

By Rev. Ian Lawton

We remember those we have lost with great fondness.

They gave much to the world; as individuals, family members, friends and work colleagues.

We remember their families in their enormous sadness.

For those who have died at work building a better place for the rest of us.

Those who died while constructing our buildings and expressways, hospitals and schools.

For those who have died young and innocent, victims of avoidable accidents.

May we learn from this loss, honor the memory of those lost

and work towards a safer work place for all people

Where the rights and dignity of all workers are upheld above all else.