84R20455 RMA-D
By: Walle H.R. No. 1957
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Many individuals concerned for the safety of Texas
workers are gathering at the State Capitol on April 28, 2015, in
observance of Workers' Memorial Day; and
WHEREAS, Workers' Memorial Day is an internationally
recognized day of remembrance for men and women who have been
injured or killed while performing their jobs, and this occasion is
a solemn reminder of the crucial need to make workplaces safer; and
WHEREAS, While the construction industry constitutes a key
pillar of the Texas economy, employing nearly one million workers
and accounting for more than five percent of the state's economic
output, the construction trade is the deadliest in the state;
according to a 2013 study, construction workers in Texas are 4.5
times more likely to be killed on the job than the average Texas
worker, and although construction workers account for only 6
percent of the state's workforce, they make up 26 percent of total
workplace fatalities; across the country, more workers die on the
job in the construction industry than in any other sector, and more
construction workers die in Texas than in any other state; and
WHEREAS, Community organizations throughout the nation are
working to create safer work environments; in the Lone Star State,
the Workers Defense Project, based in Austin and Dallas, helps
empower low-income employees by providing them with the resources
they need to improve their working and living conditions; through
its advocacy, grassroots organizing, and direct services, the WDP
has educated workers and contractors about their respective rights
and spurred regulatory agencies to increase their safety
inspections; and
WHEREAS, Workers in every field can safely perform their jobs
if they receive the necessary training and equipment and if the
highest standards of safety are upheld, and it is imperative that
employers, employees, and organizations across the Lone Star State
and the country work together to ensure that worker safety receives
the attention and support that it deserves; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize April 28, 2015, as Workers' Memorial
Day at the State Capitol and pay tribute to the men and women who
have given their lives to build our great state; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Workers Defense Project as an expression of high
regard by the Texas House of Representatives.