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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Many individuals concerned for the safety of Texas |
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workers are gathering at the State Capitol on April 28, 2015, in |
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observance of Workers' Memorial Day; and |
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WHEREAS, Workers' Memorial Day is an internationally |
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recognized day of remembrance for men and women who have been |
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injured or killed while performing their jobs, and this occasion is |
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a solemn reminder of the crucial need to make workplaces safer; and |
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WHEREAS, While the construction industry constitutes a key |
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pillar of the Texas economy, employing nearly one million workers |
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and accounting for more than five percent of the state's economic |
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output, the construction trade is the deadliest in the state; |
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according to a 2013 study, construction workers in Texas are 4.5 |
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times more likely to be killed on the job than the average Texas |
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worker, and although construction workers account for only 6 |
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percent of the state's workforce, they make up 26 percent of total |
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workplace fatalities; across the country, more workers die on the |
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job in the construction industry than in any other sector, and more |
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construction workers die in Texas than in any other state; and |
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WHEREAS, Community organizations throughout the nation are |
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working to create safer work environments; in the Lone Star State, |
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the Workers Defense Project, based in Austin and Dallas, helps |
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empower low-income employees by providing them with the resources |
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they need to improve their working and living conditions; through |
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its advocacy, grassroots organizing, and direct services, the WDP |
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has educated workers and contractors about their respective rights |
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and spurred regulatory agencies to increase their safety |
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inspections; and |
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WHEREAS, Workers in every field can safely perform their jobs |
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if they receive the necessary training and equipment and if the |
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highest standards of safety are upheld, and it is imperative that |
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employers, employees, and organizations across the Lone Star State |
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and the country work together to ensure that worker safety receives |
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the attention and support that it deserves; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 28, 2015, as Workers' Memorial |
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Day at the State Capitol and pay tribute to the men and women who |
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have given their lives to build our great state; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the Workers Defense Project as an expression of high |
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regard by the Texas House of Representatives. |