Workers should have the right to raise workplace safety concerns

Last Thursday, April 28, we honored Workers’ Memorial Day and mourned the deaths of Illinoisans and Americans who have lost their lives on the job. We were faced with stark reminders about how far worker safety has come — and how far we have left to go.

Over time, workers and labor unions have fought hard to make sure big businesses don’t cut corners on worker safety, and it shows. Illinois has a lower workplace death rate than our neighbors in Indiana, a state roughly half our size, and that isn’t by mistake. Supporting strong labor laws and workplace protections has made Illinois a safer, more prosperous place, but we’re still losing more than 100 workers a year to preventable workplace deaths.