Remembering the Sunshine Mine disaster

Forty-two years ago today, Idaho lost 91 miners in one of the deadliest disasters in the history of American mining. Our annual remembrance of the lives lost comes on the heels of last week's Workers' Memorial Day, a day observed by the AFL-CIO to honor those who have died in their line of work and to raise awareness of the importance of workers' rights and job safety. This tragic loss of life should serve as both an opportunity to recognize the advances made in mining and other hazardous industries, and to look critically at how today's society still fails to achieve the full realization of human dignity and workers' rights.

The decline of mining activity in Idaho has hit many of our communities quite hard. We in the labor movement would like to see a resurgence of the industry that created so many good jobs for working families, especially given the advances in safety that mining companies have made. As a country, we have come a long way from the unacceptably dangerous conditions that spurred the initial struggle for workplace safety in America, and we've seen the mining industry make vast improvements to the conditions and protocols that led to 91 deaths in the Sunshine Mine, and other mining accidents across the country.

Workplace fatalities and injuries have declined significantly over the past century - in part due to legislation enacted to make mines and other workplaces safer, and in part thanks to working people who joined together through unions to win those protections. Those businesses that have embraced efforts to reduce workplace injuries and fatalities should be applauded. But despite the efforts of workers, businesses and government, too many workers are still subject to danger. Twelve workers die on the job in our country every day - women and men who go to work, never to return home to their loved ones.

Our annual remembrance of the 91 men who died in the Sunshine Mine, and the millions of others across our country who have been sickened or disabled because of their jobs, should serve as a reminder that workers' issues impact all of us. When our lawmakers pass legislation that enables employers to put their workers at risk, life itself is devalued. That's why it's still as important as ever that workers have a right to a voice in the workplace - because the right to speak out against unsafe working conditions can be a life-or-death matter.

Our human dignity depends on laws that show a regard for the sanctity and importance of every life - a regard that clearly prioritizes human rights over maximizing profits. On this day, I encourage all working people in Idaho to take a moment to remember those 91 miners who gave their lives in 1972 for their job, and the millions of others who have done the same. In so doing, I encourage you to commit to joining together for safer workplaces, a better life and a brighter future for all working families.

Brad Cederblom is president of the North Idaho Central Labor Council and sits on the Executive Board of the Idaho State AFL-CIO, which represents more than 11,000 union members in Idaho.