RALEIGH, N.C. — Workers, union leaders, faith leaders, and community advocates gathered Tuesday at Nash Square in downtown Raleigh to commemorate Workers Memorial Day and honor North Carolinians who lost their lives while working in 2024.
The ceremony, held beside the Fallen Firefighters Memorial, included the ringing of a memorial bell 196 times — once for each worker in North Carolina who died on the job last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Organizers said the event served both as a memorial for lives lost and a renewed call for stronger workplace protections and safety enforcement.
North Carolina State AFL-CIO President Braxton Winston spoke during the press conference, raising concerns about the weakening of workplace safety agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Winston said reduced oversight and enforcement continue to place workers at greater risk across multiple industries.
An interfaith memorial service also featured prayers from Rev. Jennifer Copeland of the North Carolina Council of Churches, Imam Sami Kocak of the Cary Islamic Center, and Rabbi Noah Rubin-Blose of Makom Community. Family members of workers including Zachary Jones, Christopher Wood, and William Freeman attended the ceremony and reflected on the loved ones they lost.
Representatives from organizations including the North Carolina Justice Center, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Union of Southern Service Workers, and Student Action with Farmworkers also participated in the memorial.
Dozens of attendees dressed in black held photographs, posters, and signs displaying the names of workers who died on the job, creating a solemn tribute to the lives lost and the families forever impacted by workplace fatalities.
