Federal employees would get another paid holiday to commemorate Workers’ Memorial Day under legislation that was reintroduced in the House.
Introduced by Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ), the Workers’ Memorial Day Act (H.R. 3046) proposes establishing a new federal holiday to honor and remember America’s workers who have tragically lost their lives, been injured, or fallen ill on the job.
The legislation was previously introduced in 2023.
The proposed federal holiday would be observed annually on April 28th. This date holds significance as it marks the effective date of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (S. 2193), which was enacted on April 28, 1971. In 1989, the AFL-CIO began observing April 28th as Workers’ Memorial Day to honor the memory of workers who had lost their lives on the job.
Unions and communities commemorate the event each year in different ways to honor workers who died on the job.
For instance, Cal/OSHA observed Workers’ Memorial Day to honor workers’ lives and raise awareness about workplace hazards. IAM union members observed the occasion by honoring other IAM members who died in workplace incidents over the past year by reading their names aloud in a moment of reflection.
In a statement about the bill, Norcross said:
As an electrician, I have had the unfortunate experience of witnessing hard-working Americans lose their lives on the job. I introduced the Workers’ Memorial Day Act to remember our brothers and sisters who passed away on the job and bring more attention to the need for safe working conditions. We have made great strides in making workplaces safer, but dangerous working conditions kill and injure thousands of workers every year. Our work is far from over and as a co-chair of the Labor Caucus and lifelong IBEW union member, I will continue to fight for safer workplaces and stronger health and safety standards.
Other Federal Holidays
Federal employees currently have 11 standard paid federal holidays. The newest federal holiday was added in 2021 with the addition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Other recently proposed federal holidays include Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Diwali, Lunar New Year, and Rosa Parks Day.
