It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the stark reality that Latino men, like those who were part of the construction crew, face the highest rate of workplace fatalities in the United States. This sobering statistic underscores the urgent need for greater protections and safety measures for immigrant workers, who often take on dangerous jobs in construction and other industries to support their families.
Labor journalist Kim Kelly, author of “Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor,” was a participant and panelist at the National Conference for Worker Safety and Health (COSHCON2023). Below, she shares her reflections and experience of the event.
Two companies doing business in Las Vegas, the Boring Company and Black Iron, are among the “Dirty Dozen” identified by the National Council of Occupational Safety and Health as workplace safety offenders. National COSH is an organization dedicated to worker safety.
Ana Mejia, a farm worker, worked for 11 years at Costa Farms in south Florida where she said she experienced two serious heat stress incidents on the job. Costa Farms was included on the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health’s Dirty Dozen report of unsafe employers in 2024. Costa Farms declined to comment.
Walmart made the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (COSH)’s “Dirty Dozen” list this year. It highlights 12 employers that National COSH believes to be endangering employees; Walmart is the only retailer on the list.
