Governor Gregoire Addresses Labor and Industries' Annual Worker Memorial Day Ceremony (As Written)

April 25, 2007

On behalf of the six million Washingtonians, I want to extend my condolences to the families, friends and co-workers of the 112 workers we are remembering today.

I also want to thank the L&I employees who are here today to pay respects to these families.

I�m grateful that we have this opportunity to honor the men and women who lost their lives last year due to work-related injury or illness. But I deeply regret the need to be here at all.

The simple truth is that most workplace fatalities can be prevented.

We have the knowledge.

We have the technology.

And we have the desire.

Yet in spite of that � sadly � more than 100 families had their lives disrupted by the devastating loss of a loved one last year.

It�s impossible to measure the grief and loss that is caused when a father doesn�t come home. Or when a when a wife is no longer able to support her family. Or when we lose a friend or a co-worker.

Putting bread on the table and a roof overhead shouldn�t expose a worker to fatal harm.

But last year it did more than 100 times.

It happened in a diverse array of workplaces.

It happened in all kinds of occupations and across our state.

Looking over the list of names really brought this home to me � working people of all ages, all occupations, in every industry around the state � are at risk of being killed on the job.

There was:

• Anna Svidersky of Vancouver -- who was killed just a few days shy of her 18th birthday.
• 31-year-old construction worker Travis Watts of Richland.
• Joshua Patterson, a 36-year-old logger from Port Angeles.
• 74-year old Warren Thompson and 56-year-old Steven Mattson, two people whose lives were cut short by exposure to asbestos at work.
• 21-year-old Jami Hensley who was just starting her new career as a heavy-equipment operator.
• And Eric Miller, 41, a pilot killed in a plane crash.

These are just a few of the 112 Washingtonians who died as a result of work-related illnesses or injuries last year.

Clearly, death does not discriminate based on age or occupation. Where hazards exist, workers are in danger.

I appreciate all of the staff here at L&I who are trying to eliminate workplace fatalities. Thank you for the important work you do!

Let�s all work together to make our workplaces safer � workers, employers and government � let�s stop these fatalities before they happen.

I know everyone in this room would bring this loss of life to a halt if they could. I believe that we can make Washington workplaces the safest and healthiest in the nation.

We owe it to the families here to never give up our effort to reach this goal.

I�d like to finish by inviting you to join me after the ceremony to dedicate the Worker Memorial Bell sculpture that was just installed on the front lawn next to the Worker Memorial Garden.

This beautiful sculpture was commissioned and donated by the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council.

The bell is a symbol of this ceremony � where the bell tolls as the names are read.

Today we will dedicate this bell to all the Washington workers who have died on the job.

We also dedicate the bell to these workers� families so that you know we will never forget and to give you a reflective place to come and remember your loved ones.

And we will dedicate the bell to the employees at Labor and Industries to serve as a constant reminder of the importance of our mission.

Please join me after the ceremony for this dedication.

Thank you.

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