Lance E. Heasley, president of the ICWUC, bows his head in a moment of silence during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council Headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
The International Chemical Workers Union in Akron memorialized those killed or injured in the workplace, some due to occupational-related illnesses, with a line up of speakers on Workers’ Memorial Day Friday.
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown joined Lance Heasley, president of the International Chemical Workers Union Council, and Keith Mundy, the ICWUC’s director of public health and safety, and other officials, including Nanette Pitt from the Akron mayor’s office.
After the presentation, Army veteran Jimmy Tomsho played taps to close out the service – a wreath was laid next to the permanent granite memorial to fallen workers in front of the ICWUC building on West Market Street in the Wallhaven neighborhood.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5,486 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2022, a 5.7% increase from the 5,190 recorded in 2021, which means someone died on the job every 96 minutes from a work-related injury in 2022.
Army veteran Jimmy Tomsho plays taps to close out the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Attendees stand in a moment of silence and reflection during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council hn Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Phil Engle of the Salvation Army leads a moment of silence during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Lance E. Heasley, ICWUC’s president, introduces Phil Engle from the Salvation Army to give a benediction to close out the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Glenn Gunto and Scott Slie carry a wreath to be placed at the memorial site during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Glenn Gunto (left) and Scott Slie carry a wreath to be placed at the memorial site during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)The Rev. Nanette Pitt (left), chief of strategy for Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, shakes hands with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Attendees watch a video message from U.S. Rep. Emilia Sykes, who represents Ohio’s 13th District, during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Keith Mundy, ICWUC’s director of health and safety, holds up a proclamation presented during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Milton Jones, the secretary-treasurer of UFCW International, gives remarks during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Lance E. Heasley, ICWUC president, speaks in remembrance of the lives lost while on the job as part of the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown speaks during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)Sen. Sherrod Brown (left) speaks with team members from OSHA’s Cleveland office during the Workers Memorial Day event Friday, April 26, 2024, at the International Chemical Workers Union Council headquarters in Akron’s Wallhaven neighborhood. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
Multimedia reporter/producer (she/her)
Kassi Filkins strives to be an active part of whatever community she finds herself in and joins Signal Akron in its mission to bring accessible and community-focused news to all Akronites.
Kassi was born and raised in Central Ohio and is a photojournalism graduate of Kent State University. She was a staff member at the Southeast Missourian and the Hartford Courant before working in non-profit communications.
Kassi lives in Highland Square and enjoys local coffee shops, walking along trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and hanging out with her dogs, cat and husband.
Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.
