RUMFORD — Union members and allies commemorated Mainers who died from workplace injuries and illnesses over the past year at the Western Maine Labor Council’s 18th Annual Workers’ Memorial Day/International Workers’ Day ceremony and dinner Sunday.

They included three people killed in the mass shooting Oct. 25, 2023, in Lewiston: Joseph L. Walker, manager of Schemengees Bar & Grill Restaurant; Thomas Conrad, general manager of Just-in-Time Recreation bowling alley; and Tricia Asselin, an employee of the bowling alley.

The sold-out gathering at 49 Franklin Reception Hall & Mystic Theater featured Dr. Jason Moyer-Lee, director of the Maine Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Standards, who shared insights and perspectives on labor rights and workplace safety.

He said one recent example of how workers’ protect themselves through organizing unions was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Around the world, unions waged campaigns, took legal action, marched, lobbied and fought to protect workers from catching a deadly virus at work,” he said. “It should be government’s role to enforce minimum standards set by statute and it is the union’s role to campaign for and to negotiate improvements to these minimums. These things should complement each other.”

Moyer-Lee said especially on International Workers’ Day “we not only remember the dead, but we renew our commitment to fight like hell for the living!”

Workers’ Memorial Day, observed worldwide on April 28, is a remembrance and action for workers who were killed, disabled, injured, or sickened in the course of their work.

May Day or International Workers’ Day is observed May 1 to commemorate the struggles and victories of all workers worldwide.

According to the Maine Department of Labor, at least 23 Mainers died of work-related injuries in 2023, a rate of 3.8 per 100,000 workers, slightly above the national rate of 3.7.

Linda Deane, president of the Western Maine Labor Council, said, “Our dedication to securing the fundamental right to a safe job will endure until that promise is fulfilled. Let us stand united in pursuit of safer, healthier workplaces, ensuring that in the future no bells will toll in remembrance of lives lost on the job.”

The two-hour program included presentations of three awards.

The Workers’ Solidarity Award was presented to Western Maine Transportation Services Lewiston-Auburn bus drivers with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 714 for their unwavering dedication to solidarity and collective action. Cynthia Phinney, a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1837 and president of the Maine AFL-CIO, made the presentation.

She said that last fall, transit operators, recognizing the vulnerability they faced without collective representation, united to amplify their voices and safeguard their professions, along with the vital public service they provide.

The Frances Perkins Award was presented to Brian Bryant, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, for his lifelong commitment to advancing workers’ rights through his leadership. The award is given to an individual who has improved the lives of workers through public service or public policy.

“It is an honor to receive this recognition on behalf of my 600,000 IAM workers across North America,” Bryant said.

He has been active in the labor movement for more than 30 years, joining IAM Local S6 in 1989 while employed at Bath Iron Works in Bath as a pipefitter. On Jan. 1, he became president of IAM, one of the largest labor unions in North America.

Deane said Bryant grew up in the Jay-Livermore area, and began his union career at Bath Iron works. “I feel it is important a small-town Mainer has achieved this position.”

The Bruce D. Roy Award was given to Allan Shepard, treasurer and former president, organizer and training director of IBEW 567, for his exceptional contributions to the labor movement. The award is given each year to a leader who has dedicated much of his or her lifetime to strengthening worker organizations and improving the lives of working people.

For several years, Shepard served as secretary-treasurer of the Maine AFL-CIO, representing local unions at the state and federal levels.

Sunday’s program concluded with the “Prayer for Fallen Workers” by the Rev. Aaron Dambroise, pastor of the Holy Savior Parish of Rumford and Bethel.

It was followed by reading the names of workers lost in 2023.

The Western Maine Labor Council consists of organized labor and supporters spanning Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties. Its mission is to champion the rights and welfare of workers, through educational initiatives, organizing efforts and active engagement with their communities, and is committed to fostering a society that is fair and equitable for all.

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