Honoring the Fallen, Renewing Our Commitment to Safety and Justice

Sheet Metal Workers Local 24 Business Manager Jeff Hunley was the keynote speaker at the AFL-CIO Central Ohio Area Labor Federation Workers’ Memorial Day Lunch on April 25. The event was held at the IAFF 67 Union Hall in Columbus and there were over 150 individuals in attendance, including labor leadership, union members, elected officials and community allies.

The program raises funds to support the Workers’ Memorial Monument in Columbus.

Below is Hunley’s speech:

Reflecting on 54 Years of the Occupational Safety and Health Act

Fifty-four years ago, the passage of the Occupational Safety and Health Act promised to protect every working man and woman in America with safe, healthful working conditions. Yet today, that promise remains under attack.

We are facing growing resistance to workers’ rights and union protections. Job safety rules are being repealed, critical resources are being stripped away and agencies tasked with safeguarding our lives are being gutted. This is not just about policy—it’s deeply personal.

Every one of us — union leaders, members, elected officials and community allies — has a role to play in the ongoing fight for safety and dignity in the workplace.

Workers’ Memorial Day event held at IAFF Local 67 in Columbus. Photo Credit: William Corey Photography

The Toll Is Real

In 2023, the United States lost 5,283 workers to workplace fatalities.
These are not just numbers or statistics.
They represent someone’s brother, daughter, partner or friend.

For Local 24, the loss became heartbreakingly personal.
Within just 34 days, two Union Sheet Metal Workers within our jurisdiction lost their lives:

• Wesley Smith, Local 33 – October 11, 2024
• Uriah Brown, Local 24 – November 14, 2024

Two lives cut tragically short.
Two families forever changed.
Two communities in mourning.

Wesley and Uriah were more than skilled tradesmen—they were human beings with dreams, loved ones and futures that were stolen from them.

“Sometimes, the difference between life and death is a single second — and that second cannot be taken back.”

We owe it to Uriah.
We owe it to Wesley.
We owe it to every worker who didn’t come home — to learn from these tragedies and take action.

A Call to Action

To honor those we’ve lost, we must commit to:

• Better safety training
• Stronger enforcement of OSHA protections
• Increased investment in worker safety by employers
• Empowering workers to speak up without fear of retaliation

“Sometimes, the difference between life and death is just a single second—and that second can never be taken back.”

Workers’ Memorial Day Bell. Photo Credit: William Corey Photography

We Will Not Stop

We fight for those we’ve lost.
We fight for those on the job right now.
We fight for those who will come after us.

We must ensure that every worker who leaves for work comes home safely.
We must never accept injury or death as “just part of the job.”

“We owe it to every worker who didn’t come home — to learn, to act, and to fight like hell.”

Because it’s not.
It never was.
And it never should be.

We must fight like hell — for safety, for dignity and for justice.