April 27, 2025 – On Monday, April 28, local workers, union officials and community leaders will gather at the Workers’ Memorial located on the northwest corner of the Macon County Courthouse Lawn to mark Workers Memorial Day, remembering workers who have died or suffered illness or injuries while on the job.
The ceremony at 5:30pm will feature an honor guard, laying of the wreath by a family of a fallen workers, prayer remembrance, speaker, reading of the names of those who have lost their lives while working in Macon County and a moment of silence. The speaker will be Jason Keller, Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Labor.
This year, the memorial will add the name of John Hawkins, a local restaurant owner, who died after a fall at work in January. His family will lay the wreath at the opening of the prayer service.
In addition, the central labor council will present a resolution to support SB 1976, introduced by Senator Robert Peters, to create the Illinois Workers’ Rights and Safety Act – which would preserve the long-established workplace protections under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, and the Coal Mine Health and Safety Act.
