Fusco Serves as Speaker for Long Island Workers's Memorial Day Ceremony

Friday evening, April 28th, saw a packed house in the lobby of the at New York State Office Building in Hauppauge for the annual Suffolk County Ceremony commemorating Worker's Memorial Day. Conceived by the AFL-CIO to commemorate the lives of workers who died on the job during the previous 12 months, the ceremony saw a packed house. Among the unions with representatives present were Local 1486 of the Plumbers and Allied Trades, IBEW Locals 25, 1381 and 1049, CWA, CSEA, PEF, Local 1500 UFCW, Local 338 RWDSU, Teamsters Locals 804 and 282, and several other unions as well as representatives of the Suffolk County Department of Labor and the Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Representatives lit candles for three deceased Long Island workers whose families chose to be part of the ceremony. Melodie Guerrera, President of the Long Island Workers' Memorial Day Committee, a not-for-profit organization, presided. Speakers included Roger Clayman, Executive Director, Long Island Federation of Labor, who gave a very moving presentation about the results of weakening regulations that protected workers; Vic Fusco, who, as host of Labor-Lines, spoke of the role of media in promoting awareness of worker safety, and pointed to headlines from the day prior showing another needless death on the job of a 20 year old recycling worker; Newsday's Joye Brown who related her own experiences; and the Honorable William J. Lindsay, Presiding Officer of the Suffolk County Legislature, who spoke of the travails of workers who joined in the rescue, clean-up and recovery of the World Trade Center site, following the 9-11 attacks, and who are developing lung and other disorders, but are seemingly barred by law from Workers' Compensation Benefits.

Following the candle lighting and speeches, the gathering moved outdoors to plant flowers at the Long Island Workers' Memorial Monument which was erected at the entrance to the State Office Building by the Workers' Memorial Day Committee.