PREPARED
REMARKS
Workers
Memorial Day Proclamation Signing, April 28, 2015
Good
afternoon.
As some
of us here know all too well, no job is worth the cost of a life. No family can
feel stable and secure when they’re worried about the safety of their loved
ones.
I want
every worker to return home safely at the end of their shift. We must honor
those who have died while trying to earn a living by ensuring a safe workplace
for every Oregonian.
The
wellbeing of our workforce is more than just a safety issue. It is essential to
the economic health of the entire state.
Oregon’s
economy is turning a corner, with
just 5.4 percent of Oregonians unemployed. This is slightly lower than the
national average, and the state’s lowest unemployment in eight years. But
these gains are not worth the loss of a single life.
Oregon
businesses have been great partners in expanding workforce training and job
opportunities so that more Oregon families can thrive. As more workers enter the workforce, employers
must remain committed to worker safety and accident prevention. And workers
must be willing to stand up and say something when safe working conditions are
not maintained.
Even with
increasing numbers of working Oregonians, fatalities at work have remained
relatively stable. But, stable is not enough. One work-related
fatality is one too many. Too many
families facing an uncertain future. Too many families that we are called on to
remember on days like today.
I know
Oregon can do better.