Shamenia Stewart-Adams, the widow of Ronald Adams Sr, delivered powerful remarks to the public hearing held in Detroit Sunday, July 27, on the rank-and-file investigation into the death of her husband at the Dundee Engine Complex.
The 63-year-old machine repairman was doing maintenance work on machinery when an overhead gantry suddenly and without warning activated, crushing his torso and instantly killing him in the early morning hours of April 7.
In the face of nearly four months of silence from the company, the United Auto Workers and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), Shamenia and other family members have courageously demanded the truth about his preventable death, and accountability from those who were responsible.
Audience members stood in applause as Shamenia and other family members, wearing “Justice for Ronald Sr” t-shirts, came to the podium. She then gave the following remarks.
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Hello, everyone, my name is Shamenia Adams. Today, I am not going to give a long spiel on how wonderful my husband was, what he meant to me and my family, or even how devastating or traumatic this event has been for us.
But I do stand before you today, not just as a grieving wife, but as a voice for every mother, every wife, and every family who has watched their loved one walk out the door for work, trusting that they will return home safely.
My husband lost his life at Stellantis, but he also gave his life to Stellantis, for 19 years. And since his passing, I have received no answers from MIOSHA [the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration] or the UAW. Not a letter, not a call, not a single word explaining why or how this happened.
Our family deserves to know the truth, and I am demanding the truth. Our family is demanding the truth. Not just for myself and our children, but for every family who has ever suffered in silence.
When our husbands go to work in environments filled with hazardous machinery and unsafe conditions, we expect every measure is taken to ensure their safety. We expect that those who oversee these conditions are held accountable when lives are lost.
What we want is transparency and accountability. No wife or mother should ever be forced to live in the torment of unanswered questions. And no child should ever have to grow up without knowing why their father did not return home.
To those of you who have ever worked beside my husband, or who knew him, respected him and called him a friend, please hear me today. I know that some of you have been threatened. I know many of you are afraid of losing your job or facing harassment for speaking up.
I understand how heavy that burden is, especially when your livelihood is on the line. But I ask you now with everything in me to find the courage to come forward. Not only for my husband’s memory but for your own lives and the lives of your co-workers. Because what happened to my husband can happen again to any one of you or any one of your family members.
His death cannot go in vain. My husband was a protector, and he cared deeply about safety and stood up for what is right. Many of you have shared how much he was respected and loved. So, honor him now by refusing to be silent. By speaking the truth. By standing together to demand a safe workplace, for yourselves and for those who will come after you.
There is power in numbers. There is strength in unity. And there is justice waiting to be served. But only if you all stand up and speak out. Let’s set a new standard, one of zero tolerance for unsafe conditions, silence and fear. My family deserves the truth. All families do.
Thank you.
After Shamenia’s remarks, a brief slide show was presented on Ronald Adams Sr.’s life, and a family video of his funeral, the horse-drawn hearse that carried his casket through the Bagley Community where he grew up and where his family still lives. It concluded with the spreading of his ashes behind the family home at a gathering of siblings, children and grandchildren on Father’s Day.
Further reports and contributions to the public hearing will be posted in coming days. To provide testimony or support the rank-and-file investigation, fill out the form below.