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Workers Memorial Day Noted Thursday In Rhinelander

AFL-CIO

While May has a Memorial Day to remember fallen soldiers, this week, another memorial day is held to remember people killed and injured in work-related mishaps.

The Northern Wisconsin Center for Working People is located in Rhinelander.

Local president Jackie Cody says they will be observing Workers Memorial Day Thursday at Pioneer Park in Rhinelander....

"....this is our seventh year of recognizing workers who have died on the job and to acknowledge there is  suffering by families and communities once that happens. It's also to recognize those who have sustained injuries or illness at the workplace.....

" Cody says there's a memorial in Pioneer Park....

"...to recognize Workers Memorial Day, we established the Workers Memorial Rock, which is in Pioneer Park, nestled in the pines near the entrance, the Oneida Avenue entrance. It's a way of reminding the community of the lives that have been taken because going to a workplace should not be a dangerous situation, but many workplaces are a dangerous situation..."

Cody says the number of federally recognized workplace deaths was 54 in Wisconsin, which is up from 34 from a year before.She says the majority of the deaths are from vehicular incidents. She says it could be a driver transporting autos between dealerships, she said it could be a trucker checking a load and is struck by a vehicle, She said there were several deaths just walking on a manufacturing site. Falls also account for some deaths and there were people killed by gunshot at their workplaces.

The worker recognition event is Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Pioneer Park, the Oneida Avenue entrance.

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