Workers' Memorial Day is not just a moment of reflection; it is a call to action. We pause to honor those we have lost, to grieve alongside the families they left behind, and to remind every elected leader and employer that the safety of working people is not optional and failure to protect them is not acceptable.
This past year, we mourned the tragic loss of our brother Gregory Turnipseed, a friend, a father, and a 14-year Baltimore City Department of Transportation employee and proud member of the City Union of Baltimore, who lost his life after being assaulted on the job. Gregory represented the very best of us – a dedicated public servant who showed up every day to serve others.
Workers across Maryland have been raising alarms for years about preventable deaths, injuries, and violent assaults on the job, and for too long, those warnings have gone unheeded. No one should ever go to work with the fear of losing their life. The workers who keep Maryland running deserve more than condolences. They deserve answers, action, and safe working conditions.
Accountability, proper training, enforceable policies, and a safety system that takes workers' concerns seriously and acts on them are the bare minimum. Losing a loved one is tragic enough; to know it was preventable is unforgivable, and we will not stop until safety becomes the standard.
Today and always, we send our deepest condolences to all our members who have lost loved ones on the job. We honor their memories and the selfless lives they lived in service to the people of Maryland.
Our top priority will always be your safety, your rights, and the ongoing fight to strengthen both. We will not stop until Maryland meets its full responsibility to protect the people who keep it running. Because every worker deserves to go to work and come back home safe, and every life lost is one too many.
In solidarity,
Kenya Campbell
AFT Maryland President
