Each year on Workers Memorial Day (April 28), working people throughout the world remember those who were hurt or killed on the job, and recommit to the struggle for a safe workplace.

Virtually every safety and health protection on the books today exists because union workers fought together to win them, the most notable being the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

On April 28, 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Act became effective and the Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was formed. Since the law was passed, significantly fewer workers have been killed on the job each year; however, there is still a long way to go. Right now, the federal government is reversing safety regulations and slashing resources for safety enforcement.

Drivers from the newly unionized Salmon Co. in El Paso, TX unanimously ratified the terms of their first Collective Bargaining Agreement. These APWU new members received most of the terms of the negotiated Salmon contract for the Dallas Area Local.

Due to the organizing efforts and continued support of Texoma Local representatives Sonny Castleman and Michael Robinson, the members now have bargaining rights and proper representation. These members are happy to now deal with the company on an even playing field. 100 percent of the membership voted to ratify the terms.

On April 15, Tax Day, thousands of APWU members and allies took to the street to spread the news that the US Mail Runs on Zero Tax Dollars! At more than 100 locations from Hawaii to New England, activists fighting for the public good passed out flyers and spoke to citizens about the vital, public good the USPS provides, all without a dollar of taxpayer money.

On Thursday, Apr. 11, nearly 31,000 workers at over 240 Stop & Shop grocery stores in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut walked out, beginning a strike that stretched into a seventh day on Wednesday. The workers, unionized under five New England-based locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), began the strike after months of negotiations with Stop & Shop reached an impasse and the collective bargaining agreement expired on Feb. 23.

The strike is the largest private-sector work stoppage in the United States since 2016’s Verizon strike by members of the Communications Workers of America.