AFSCME joins PennDOT, PSP to honor fallen workers
Local Union Presidents of AFSCME from the nine counties included in the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) District 2-0 joined Council 13 leadership and staff, as well as officials from PennDOT and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), for an unveiling ceremony for a memorial honoring the District 2-0 employees who have lost their lives in the line of duty since 1970. PennDOT will permanently display it at their District 2-0 office in Clearfield.
Representatives of AFSCME Council 13, including Local Union Presidents from the nine counties included in PennDOT’s District 2-0, gather around the newly unveiled memorial at District 2-0’s office in Clearfield on July 10, 2023.
Since 1970, five PennDOT District 2-0 employees have lost their lives in the line of duty. Their names and the dates of their passing are as follows:
- Walter Lane, August 28, 1970
- John Coble, June 19, 1972
- Gerald Confer, September 19, 1984
- Jack Griffin, October 1, 2010
- Timothy Fitch, June 14, 2021
Council 13’s Director of Grievance & Arbitration Walter Francis spoke at the ceremony on behalf of AFSCME, praising the workers of PennDOT who keep motorists safe and urging motorists to return the favor by driving safely, especially in work zones. District Executive Thomas A. Prestash, P.E., PA Secretary of Transportation Michael B. Carroll, and State Police Lieutenant Gregory S. Kunselman also offered remarks.
Executive Director David Henderson was in attendance and issued the following statement:
“We are all humbled on a day like today when we take a moment to remember the lives lost of those who were serving our commonwealth and our communities, but sadly never returned home. These are parents, children, siblings, and friends who died in the line of duty due to circumstances beyond their control. Today and every day, we honor them. We honor them with memorials and moments of silence, but also with legislative action and safe driving, to ensure such tragedies never occur again.”
The traveling PennDOT Worker’s Memorial was on display during the proceedings. It honors all 90 PennDOT employees killed in the line of duty across the commonwealth since 1970 when the department was established.
According to PennDOT data, in 2022 there were 1,293 work zone crashes that resulted in 14 fatalities. Additionally, PennDOT monitors work zone safety with internal reports that showed there were 171 reported intrusions in PennDOT work zones. Of those intrusions, 13 resulted in injuries to PennDOT employees. Another 57 resulted in damage to PennDOT equipment or vehicles, and 101 did not result in injury or damage but had the potential to do so.
For more information on work zone safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/Safety.
