Thousands of construction workers, public officials, immigrant advocates, and clergy and community members joined together for a memorial mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral to honor victims of construction accidents throughout New York City.
The annual mass, which takes place on Workers Memorial Day, was also attended by families of construction accident victims.
The event began with a bagpipe-led procession of thousands of unionized construction workers into St. Patrick’s Cathedral followed by a memorial service for workers who lost their lives in 2015 and early 2016.
Father Brian J. Jordan presided over the mass which also was attended by Gary LaBarbera, President of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, and other labor leaders.
“Today we honor non-union and union workers alike who never made it home at night to be with their families,” said Gary LaBarbera, president of the 100,000-member Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.
“We will continue to forcefully advocate for safer construction sites across New York City so that these lives were not lost in vain.”
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), there were 16 work-related construction fatalities since the last Workers’ Memorial Day in 2015, with 14 involving non-union workers.”
