To the skirl of bagpipes, hundreds of unionists walked in procession April 26 to the rim of "the valley of the shadow of death," where the World Trade Center once stood. The banners they carried and the yellowand black ribbons pinned to their coats declared: "Mourn for the dead, fight for the living."

They gathered in the chill air at the edge of the pit and listened solemnly, some weeping, as union leaders marked the annual Workers Memorial Day by remembering the nearly 3,000 workers, including 600 union members, who died on Sept. 11.

The ceremonies started at historic Trinity Church, a few blocks away. At that service, DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts read the 23rd Psalm, which includes these fitting words: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me." Representing District Council 37's national union, AFSCME, was Lee Saunders, assistant to President Gerald W. McEntee and former administrator of DC 37.

Three DC 37 members died in the World Trade Center collapse and its aftermath: Rev. Mychal Judge, a Local 299 Chaplain, and Paramedics Carlos Lillo and Ricardo Quinn of Local 2507.

Those we lost
Six other members died on the job during the past year: Betty Davis of Local 372, Archie Tyler of Local 376, Walter Langhorn of Local 768, Harry Pellegrino Jr. of Local 1505, Wendy Bryant of Local 1549 and Barbara Poppo of Local 3621.

Offering memorial reflections at Trinity Church was John Sweeney, national president of the AFL-CIO. "We have come together to mourn the lives of the men and women who were tragically killed Sept. 11 as they began their workday," he said. "We mourn the heroes who gave their lives rescuing others.

And we also promise to honor all the other workers who died or were injured on the job last year - not just in terrorist attacks, but in workplace accidents and as a result of dangerous conditions. In their memory, we renew our promise to keep fighting for safe workplaces."

Many speakers praised the bravery shown by the hundreds of Firefighters and Police Officers who lost their lives, as well as the construction workers, volunteers and members of many DC 37 locals who labored tirelessly to find survivors, recover remains and remove the debris.

Before the ceremonies, union members distributed some 100,000 leaflets at subway stations, bus stops and on street corners, asking New Yorkers to observe a minute of silence at noon to honor workers killed last year. Construction workers at the disaster site joined participants at the Ground Zero ceremony as they paid tribute to the dead with their noontime silence.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 5,915 workers died from traumatic on-the-job injuries in 2000, while another 50,000 to 60,000 die every year from job-related diseases.

— Walter Balcerak