Thirteen workers die in the workplace every day.
APRIL 28 is Worker Memorial Day, which we learned in 2021 will NOT be celebrated by the St. Johns County Commission.
Wonder why?
Because then-Chair JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER sua sponte BLOCKED IT along with an LGBTQ Pride Day Proclamation, and an observation of school choice day. County staff stated BLOCKER would oppose proclamations that were "too left or too right," with only those three examples mentioned in federal court filings.
Honoring dead workers killed in workplaces -- like honoring veterans -- is the right thing to do.
Many dead workers are killed in making nuclear weapons, a national scandal. I was honored to represent workers in whistleblower cases and to expose dangerous workplace conditions in what the poet William Blake meant by "dark Satanic mills" in Godforsaken plants in places like Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
At least one Dull Republican pol with a Master's Degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Miami seems to be owned by developers, and he evidently does not give a fig about worker rights. It shows. So is Worker Memorial Day "too left or too right?" Ask cynical JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER.
Is he a robot with Republican Delusions of Adequacy? Or is he a shallow, callow, corpulent corporation-coddling conformist with no empathy?
Thankfully, OSHA is recognizing Worker Memorial Day 2022 under Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, former Boston Mayor, a former union leader.
Poltroonish pompous popinjay pro-developer Ponte Vedra County Commissioner JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER is married to LAUREN BLOCKER, a County Court Judge appointed in 2021 by Governor RON DeSANTIS. She's clearly the brains of the outfit.
JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER's anti-LGBT and anti-worker animus make him appear to be a blustery blockhead, an insensitive clod who can't stand criticism, an inarticulate fellow who once mispronounced animus as "aminus" (sic), a sign of his lack of sophistication.
Pray for JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER.
The cruel County Commissioner is a PROGRESS BLOCKER and A HUMAN RIGHTS BLOCKER, a developer lawyer and Florida National Guard J.A.G. Corps Major.
Is MAJOR BLOCKER a Major Pain and a a Major Embarrassment to Ponte Vedra, a charter member of the Smirking Turkey Society (STS) in the SJC Taj Mahal.
Cruel, corpulent, creepy corporate fanboy JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER now faces a three-way race running for re-election against two Republican candidates concerned about overdevelopment and skeptical of developers' money, power and influence -- a Gold Star Mother, Krista Keating-Joseph, and Merrill Paul Roland.
Neither Ms. Keating-Joseph and Mr. Roland would have blocked a simple proclamation on Worker Memorial Day, and not damned it as "too left or too right."
Is it the right time to do the right thing -- time to restore honor and dignity to the Ponte Vedra seat on our St. Johns County Commission?
You tell me.
OSHA press release:
OSHA National News Release
April 25, 2022
US Department of Labor to mark Workers Memorial Day, remembering lives
lost; stress the high cost of ignoring workplace safety, health standards
Online event to be broadcast live on April 28 from Washington
WASHINGTON – Each year, the families and friends of fallen workers, and organizations, including the U.S. Department of Labor and its Occupational Safety and Health Administration sadly observe April 28 as Workers Memorial Day.
On average, 13 workers die as a result of workplace injuries every day in the U.S. While far fewer than before the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 laid the foundation to better protect worker safety and health, the nation continues to confront the enormous challenge of making sure every worker ends their shift safely.
In communities across the nation, the people these workers left behind come together to remember them and raise their voices in the hope that – by helping others understand the nature and impact of their tragic losses – the hard work of preventing others from sharing their pain can be done.
To mark the observance, Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh will join with OSHA and some of those scarred by workplace tragedies at the department’s headquarters in Washington on April 28 for an online national Workers Memorial Day ceremony at 1 p.m. EDT.
“Workers Memorial Day allows us to remember those whose lives were claimed by their jobs, in too many instances, because required safety precautions were not taken to prevent tragedy,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “Every year, thousands of workers are unable to return home to their families and their communities because workplace safety and health were overlooked. We must never underestimate the importance of ensuring OSHA requirements are met and followed as the law requires. As we are sadly reminded again, peoples’ lives depend on it.”
The event will include remarks from the following guests:
- Jesse Stolzenfels, a coal miner at the Sago Mine in West Virginia, where an explosion and collapse claimed the lives of his 12 co-workers in 2006.
- Rena Harrington, whose son was fatally injured in 2018 at a Massachusetts construction site.
- Alejandro Zuniga, an advocate with the Houston-based Faith and Justice Worker Center, who will discuss workers’ rights and the impact of worker fatalities on their families and communities.
As part of its commemoration, OSHA representatives from across the country will participate in local Workers Memorial Day events in April and stand with families, workers, labor unions, advocates, and others as they honor fallen workers and raise awareness of workplace safety to help prevent future tragedies.
Find a local Workers Memorial Day event near you.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to help ensure these conditions for America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards and providing training, education and assistance to employers as well as to workers directly.
# # #
Media Contacts:
Denisha Braxton, 202-693-5061, braxton.denisha.l@dol.gov
Mandy McClure, 202-693-4675, mcclure.amanda.c@dol.gov
Release Number: 22-740-NAT
U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).
Ed's note: to our union brothers and sisters: this is the man who blocked WORKER MEMORIAL DAY as St. Johns County Commission Chair (along with LGBTQ Pride Day and a resolution on school choice, as "too left or too right."). Share his shame -- his name is JEREMIAH RAY BLOCKER:
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