Workers’ Memorial Day: April 28

Originally published in the 51 Corridor Community Newspaper, April 24, 2008

               Everyone is familiar with Memorial Day, the last Monday in May, honoring military personnel killed in the line of duty. But how much do you know about Workers’ Memorial Day, which occurs on Monday?

               Every year, thousands of workers die or are injured at work and many more become ill because of dangerous conditions. The AFL-CIO has observed every April 28 since 1989 as the day to “mourn for the dead, fight for the living.” Labor unions and workers in nearly one hundred countries observe the day.

                The AFL-CIO chose April 28 because it is the anniversary of the founding of OSHA, the

Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA is the arm of the U.S. Department of Labor which oversees workplace health and safety issues. While American working conditions have progressed a great deal in the last hundred years, there is still room for improvement. Since most of the products that we buy are manufactured overseas, we should remember that those cheap prices often come at a high cost. China and other third-world countries don’t have strict – or sometimes any – health and safety regulations. That’s one reason why their products can be made so inexpensively.

               So the next time you don’t get hurt at work, please remember the struggles of people who fought for your health and safety, and remember those who died along the way.

               The Allegheny County Labor Council will hold a memorial service for workers killed on the job.

               For more information, go to

• The AFL-CIO Web site: www.aflcio.org/issues/safety/memorial
• or the Allegheny County Labor Council at www.pittsburghaflcio.org (412-456-6851)

What’s a SHACOG?

               Recently, SHACOG announced its contract with Verizon to provide cable TV services to south hills residents. You’ve probably encountered a few Verizon trucks in your neighborhood. Great. So, what’s a SHACOG anyway? 

               SHACOG is the South Hills Area Council of Governments, and is one of eight Councils in Allegheny County. A Council of Governments is a voluntary association of local governments, which meet to study and discuss common issues, develop plans to address those issues, and participate in activities that benefit all members. SHACOG’s projects include bulk purchasing of equipment and supplies, a common test for all member police departments, cable TV franchise agreements, and a credit union. They are also working with member emergency service departments (police, fire, and EMS) to develop a critical incident response team. Each of the 15 member communities pays a membership fee. The communities have recovered their fees through savings in the purchasing alliance alone. 

               South hills communities established SHACOG in 1973 and there are now 15 members, including Baldwin Borough, Baldwin Township, Brentwood, Castle Shannon, Jefferson Hills, Pleasant Hills, South Park Township, and Whitehall. West Mifflin is a member of the Twin Rivers Council of Government.  Each community appoints a representative to the COG Board of Directors, and a small staff handles daily management duties.

               COGs originated in the 1960s, and there are now more than 500 in the United States. The National League of Cities and the National Association of Counties founded the National Association of Regional Councils (NARC) in 1965. None of Allegheny County’s COGs belongs to NARC, but the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission is a member.

For more information:

• South Hills – www.shacog.com  (412-341-3750)
• Twin Rivers – www.trcog.com (412-466-7377)
• National Association of Regional Councils – www.narc.org (202-986-1032)