Washington, DC – April 28, 2020 – Today, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) issued the following statement from President Sean McGarvey in recognition of International Workers’ Memorial Day 2020:

“This International Workers’ Memorial Day, North America’s Building Trades Unions honor the dignified men and women who have lost their lives on construction job sites across North America and the globe. These men and women are more than brothers and sisters in the construction industry;  they are committed family members, loved ones and friends, working day-in and out to support those in need and their communities.

“We know any loss of a worker is too many. These losses are what lights a fire for our increased investment in worker health and safety both on and off the job. We know we must do whatever it takes to protect the hardworking men and women on the front lines today and those who will be fighting the good fight tomorrow. That’s why in lieu of federal action, we released a new national disease control standard this week, which sets the framework aimed to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and keep our workforce safe and healthy. NABTU standards, research, and training protocols have – and will continue – to reduce fatality rates in construction.

“This Workers’ Memorial Day, as a tribute to those we’ve lost before and during this pandemic, let’s keep up the good fight for the living by continuing to raise the bar to improve health and safety management practices. Let’s make sure every worker that leaves home for work in the morning, safely makes it back to their family. The building trades will keep doing whatever it takes, and we hope all industries, not just construction, will step up as well.”

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Press Contact:  Betsy Barrett, 202-756-4623, bbarrett@nabtu.org

About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry that collectively represent over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and our signatory contractor partners invest over $1.6 billion in private-sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the safest, most highly trained, and productive, skilled craft workers found anywhere in the world. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renowned apprenticeship and training, and creating pathways to the middle class for women, communities of color and military veterans in the construction industry. #BuildingTradesWhateverItTakes www.nabtu.org