(NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK) – Anyone who’s ever attended one of the previous 34 Workers’ Memorial Events held by the Niagara-Orleans AFL-CIO Central Labor Council at Reservoir Park in Niagara Falls knows what traditionally happens: The names of dozens of area Workers who died on the job are read aloud, followed by a number of addresses made by Labor Leadership and an array of Elected Officials inside a big, white tent adjacent to the impressive monument that features a huge bronze eagle rising silently to honor those fallen Workers.

But this year, at the 35th such annual observance, something very different took place.

First, by simple observance, it appeared to be the largest attendance ever - further evidenced by the number of vehicles that entirely filled a nearby parking lot - and a very long line of cars, SUVs and trucks parked one behind the other along a winding roadside leading to the memorial on Saturday (May 2nd).

But instead of a long list of speakers who pledged to fight like hell for the living, Niagara-Orleans Labor Council President Jim Briggs stood before those assembled inside the tent to introduce a 42-minute, untitled documentary produced by the Council and a Video Professional (Kevin Krisnosky) from the United Way of Greater Niagara that focused directly on the impact on several families following the on-the-job death of a loved one in three American Cities.

In the end, it was both emotional and heart-breaking.

“We traveled across the country ‘to tell a story about a few families who lost someone,’” Briggs said. “When we watch the news reports of a Worker who died on the job, ‘we forget they have families too.’ ‘These folks were just doing their job.’ ‘So, when we leave here, we have to go with a vengeance’ to call on our Elected Officials (to pass stronger on-the-job safety laws).”

The Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Documentary Team traveled to Waltham, Massachusetts, Baileyville, Maine and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to tell the story of Workers who lost their lives while at work, including a highway Worker killed in a hit-and-run vehicle crash, two at a chemical plant due to a toxic chemical leak, and another who died in a fireball explosion.

Each accident was recounted by family and Union/United Steelworkers (USW) Representatives, who underscored the fact employers will not agree to the Union’s demands for increased on-the-job safety protections during contract negotiations.

“‘We just lost the most important person in our lives,’” a family member of the Worker killed in the hit-and-run incident said in the documentary.”

“We’re constantly thinking about him,” said another.

“And we’re waiting for justice,” added another, noting the person responsible will go on trial sometime in 2026.

“‘We should be working together so both (the Union and management) has an equal voice when it comes to safety at the plant,’” said one USW Official in the documentary.

“‘On paper,’ management ‘wants to be good on safety, but doesn’t want to hear about it.’ ‘It’s a struggle - every day,’” the Union Representative added.

Said another: “‘Workers lose their lives while at work - every year.’ ‘They’re not statistics - they’re Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters, Aunts and Uncles.’ ‘We need change and that will come by telling their stories.’”

The National AFL-CIO just released its 35th annual Death on the Job-The Toll of Neglect report, which alarmingly finds workplace hazards kill approximately 140,000 Workers each year in the United States - more than 380 Workers each day.

Findings include: 5,070 Workers died from traumatic injury on the job in 2024, the latest year of data available, and an estimated 135,000 died from occupational diseases. An estimated 530 Workers died from heat alone; Black Workers still die on the job at a disproportionately higher rate than the national average; Latino Workers continue to face the greatest risk of dying on the job in 2024, at a rate 30% higher than the national average. Of the Latino Workers who died, 68.5% were Immigrants, a larger percentage than in previous years. The rate of young Worker deaths has nearly doubled since 2020 and Workers age 65 and older are nearly three times as likely to die on the job than other Workers; Workplace injuries create an enormous burden on the economy, costing an estimated $177 billion to $354 billion a year; and Under-reporting is widespread and the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is estimated to be between five million and 7.5 million each year in private industry.

There are currently 54 names inscribed on the Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Workers’ Memorial, which were each read aloud during a pre-documentary screening ceremony, including 22 Workers who lost their lives building the New York Power Authority Project many years ago.

The latest was recognized Saturday: USW Member Andrew Stayzer, who lost his life on the job back in January 2024.

Briggs (pictured below), meanwhile, also took the opportunity to focus a spotlight on industrial diseases, such as bladder cancer caused by working with toxic chemicals.

He recounted a story involving the USW, which conducted research that not only uncovered the problem within a plant, but showed it was also impacting families as the Workers were bringing it into their homes due to the residue that settled in their work clothing.

“‘This has gone on for too long in our country - with little resolve,’” Briggs said. “‘We’re not doing enough about it, but the only way to fix it is to enact health and safety legislation with teeth in it - real language.’ ‘We have to put pressure on our Elected Officials that will allow us to take a stand because going to work shouldn’t be a grave mistake.’”

WNYLaborToday.com Editor’s Note: All Photos Featured In This Labor News Report Were Taken By WNYLaborToday.com, Which Is Awaiting The Opportunity To Post The Niagara-Orleans Labor Council’s Workers Documentary On Its Front Page For Our Readers/Visitors To Watch. Hopefully That Will Come Sometime Over The Next Several Weeks.