Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Lawyers Blog

It's hard to believe that this Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country. But so many of us remember all too clearly that tragic day when nearly 3,000 lives were lost in the destruction of the Twin Towers, the attack on the Pentagon, and the plane crash in Western Pennsylvania. And we remember the heroic efforts of the firefighters, police officers, and emergency responders who sacrificed their own lives to save others. The heart-wrenching stories of loss and survival are ones that we still remember and must never forget.

So this Sunday, we join with all those across our country and around the world as we watch the National September 11 Memorial rise from the ashes of the World Trade Center site. And we ask you to join with the staff of Michael J. O'Connor & Associates as we remember those who perished on 9/11/2001, as well as their families.

United we stand, together in memory. We must never forget!

In August, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry reported that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 7.8 percent in July, up from 7.6 percent in June. PA's unemployment rate was below the U.S. rate of 9.1 percent in July and has been below the U.S. rate for 39 consecutive months, as well as at or below the U.S. rate for 57 consecutive months.

In a press release by the PA Dept. of L&I, they reported that July's unemployment rate was down 0.8 percentage points from July 2010.

What caught our attention was the report that Mining & Logging jobs were up 300 to a record high of 31,600.

The report also noted that PA's nonfarm job count was up 70,500 (1.3 percent) from July 2010 compared to nationally nonfarm jobs that were up 1.3 million (1.0 percent) from last July.

This Labor Day, the law offices of Michael J. O'Connor & Associates salute the hard-working men and women of our country. We believe so much in the efforts and sacrifices of the working class that we've built our reputation on protecting the rights of all those who are injured on the job. So Labor Day has a significant meaning to us, especially when we look back to its origins.

The website for the United States Department of Labor explains that the federal holiday known as Labor Day was created by the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It is a national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

It's believed that a machinist by the name of Matthew Maguire proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. Maguire was also the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, NJ.

Our labor force has helped this country to create the highest standard of living and the greatest production the world has ever known. So we join with those across this country to thank all the American workers for their strength and dedication.