22 Apr 2024
For immediate release
Contact: Roger Kerson, roger@nationalcosh.org, 734.645.0535
Advisory: Thursday 4/25 @ 2:00 pm ET/11:00 am PT
National COSH to Announce 2024 “Dirty Dozen” Unsafe Employers
LOS ANGELES – The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) will announce “The Dirty Dozen” employers of 2024 during a bilingual Zoom media briefing on Thursday, April 25th at 2pm ET/1pm CT/12 noon MT/ 11:00am PT.
The Dirty Dozen are examples of employers that put workers and communities at risk due to unsafe practices which lead to preventable illnesses, injuries and fatalities. Several of the Dirty Dozen have also engaged in harassment and retaliation against those workers who are standing up and speaking out for safety on the job.
Who:
Jessica E. Martinez, MPH, Co-Executive Director, National COSH
JC Muhammad, Lyft driver and organizer with The People’s Lobby and Chicago Gig Alliance
Ana Mejia, former worker at Costa Farms, Florida, member of We Count
Cindy Smith, 29-year veteran at Waffle House member, Union of Southern Service Workers
Note: Ana Mejia will speak in Spanish, with simultaneous English translation
What: Zoom media briefing on “Dirty Dozen” employers for 2023.
When: Thursday, April 25th at 2 pm ET/1 pm CT/12 noon MT/ 11:00 am PT
Where: Journalists can pre-register for the call here. Pre-registration is required to receive an individualized link for the Zoom call on Thursday, April 25th.
To receive an embargoed copy of the Dirty Dozen report, please contact roger@nationalcosh.org.
“This is an exciting and challenging time for U.S. workers,” said Jessica E. Martinez, MPH, co-executive director of National COSH. “It’s exciting to see a renewed interest in joining unions, participating in workers’ centers and connecting with advocacy campaigns. The challenge facing workers who are fighting for something better is that conditions in U.S. workplaces are getting worse.”
“The latest data show an increase in workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses,” said Martinez. “An increasing number of children are being assigned to dangerous jobs, and the reality of climate change is bringing the risk of extreme heat to both indoor and outdoor workplaces.”
“We release the Dirty Dozen each year to shine a light on what’s going wrong in U.S. workplaces – and to support workers who are joining together to make it right.”
The "Dirty Dozen” report is released in observance of Workers’ Memorial Week, which takes place this year from April 21 through April 28. This worldwide event remembers workers who lost their lives on the job and their families and also recognizes those who suffer from occupational injuries and illnesses.
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National COSH links the efforts of local worker health and safety coalitions in communities across the United States, advocating for elimination of preventable hazards in the workplace. For more information, please visit nationalcosh.org. Follow us @NationalCOSH on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.