https://www.ccohs.ca/events/mourning

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Marked annually in Canada on April 28, the National Day of Mourning is dedicated to remembering those who have lost their lives, or suffered injury or illness on the job or due to a work-related tragedy.

This year, this day takes on extra meaning as we express our gratitude to the healthcare workers on the front lines, grocery, transport, and service staff helping to keep communities running, and all the other essential personnel who have answered the call during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Your dedication and efforts are beyond measure.

Observance

The National Day of Mourning is not only a day to remember and honour those lives lost or injured due to a workplace tragedy, but also a day to collectively renew our commitment to improve health and safety in the workplace and prevent further injuries, illnesses and deaths.

Traditionally on April 28th the Canadian flag has flown at half-mast on Parliament Hill and on all federal government buildings. Employers and workers have observed Day of Mourning in a variety of ways over the years. Some have lit candles, laid wreaths, worn commemorative pins, ribbons or black armbands, and paused for a moment of silence.

In light of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic we encourage organizations, communities, and individuals to practice physical distancing and consider holding or supporting a virtual event, or simply pause at 11:00 am on April 28 for a moment of silence.

Beyond the Statistics

The most recent statistics from the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) tell us that in 2018, 1027 workplace fatalities were recorded in Canada, an increase of 76 from the previous year. Among these deaths were 27 young workers aged 15-24.

Add to these fatalities the 264,438 accepted claims (an increase from 251,508 the previous year) for lost time due to a work-related injury or disease, including 33,058 from workers aged 15-24, and the fact that these statistics only include what is reported and accepted by the compensation boards, there is no doubt that the total number of workers impacted is even greater.

And it’s not just these numbers on which we need to reflect. With each worker tragedy there are loved ones, family members, friends and co-workers who are directly affected, left behind, and deeply impacted – their lives also forever changed.

History

In 1991, eight years after the day of remembrance was launched by the Canadian Labour Congress, the Parliament of Canada passed the Workers Mourning Day Act making April 28 an official Day of Mourning. Today the Day of Mourning has since spread to more than 100 countries around the world and is recognized as Workers’ Memorial Day, and as International Workers’ Memorial Day by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

It is the hope of CCOHS that the annual observance of this day will help strengthen the resolve to establish safe and healthy conditions in the workplace, and prevent further injuries, illnesses and deaths. As much as this is a day to remember those who have died, it is also a call for us to protect the health and safety of those who work during the most vulnerable of times.

Show your commitment

In Solidarity with Nova Scotia

In the wake of this week’s horrific act of terror in Nova Scotia, our Unifor family expresses our heartfelt sympathies to the families, loved ones and friends of the victims.

Our thoughts are with all Nova Scotians left heartbroken, devastated and reeling from the targeted and random violence perpetrated this past weekend.

As each hour passes, we learn more about the victims. Health care workers on the front lines fighting COVID-19. A teacher. A retired firefighter. Public servants. Mothers. Daughters. Fathers. Sons. Grandparents. Dear friends. Volunteers. And a veteran RCMP officer, killed in the line of duty.

We grieve with all of you. We have cried with you and will do so again as we all continue to process this terrible moment. We also send our love and solidarity.

In a small province where practically everyone knows everyone, where community is something that is practiced every day, we know this horrendous violent act and the heartbreak it has rendered is felt deeply and will be for a very long time.

We hope the very characteristics that have made Nova Scotia such a vibrant and beautiful place in our country will be the foundation for healing. That sense of community and hospitality. The deep-rooted friendships and closeness. The working-class spirit. The solidarity, love and connectedness.

COVID-19 means we must find new ways to be close, to connect, to support each other especially during this darkest of times. We can and must do this, as every Nova Scotia family did on Monday night, April 20, with the lighting of candles.

Please know there are supports for anyone who needs them. Please reach out and use the resources for Unifor members at unifor.org/COVID19mentalhealth.

Remember the victims and their families. Amplify their voices, their names, their lives. We will honour them by continuing to advocate for safer workplaces at protectnsfrontline.ca, as was the request of the family of Kristen Beaton, an NSGEU sister slain this week.

As a union with 12,000 members working in nearly every sector of the Nova Scotia economy, we stand with Nova Scotians in solidarity and grief.

Rise Again, Nova Scotia. Rise Again.

In Solidarity,

Jerry Dias	Lana Payne	Linda MacNeil
National President	National Secretary-Treasurer	Atlantic Regional Director

On April 28, Unifor joins workers across Canada to commemorate those injured or killed on the job. Collectively we are solemnly reminded that more needs to be done to protect the health and safety of workers – a particularly significant message during the crisis we face during the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we pause to reflect on the tragic, traumatizing and needless loss of life due to workplace injury and occupational disease, we also respond to the deaths that could have been avoided had employers and governments adequately responded to the current crisis. Essential frontline workers, particularly those in health care, are most at risk of contracting COVID-19. Unifor continues to fight for necessary prevention plans to save lives and minimize the risk of exposure to the virus by frontline workers across Canada.

We also take the time to remember workers across the globe who went to work and did not come home, especially the frontline workers who put their lives at risk everyday to serve the public, and those who are fighting for change.

Labour activists across Canada are demanding that employers take workers’ health and safety concerns much more seriously and that all levels of government reinforce the vital right to refuse unsafe work. Now more than ever before, the voice of workers must be heard and listened to, and acted upon.

The best way to control any hazard is to systematically eliminate or remove it from the workplace, rather than relying on workers to reduce their personal exposure. The hierarchy of controls must prevail in order to protect workers in all workplaces, regardless of size or location.  Since science on COVID19 is uncertain, we must follow “the precautionary principle” and err on the side of caution.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a vibrant light on prevention shortcomings. Workers are leading the movement, and calls-to-action, for safer workplaces. Today we thank them for their commitment to creating safe workplaces for all.

As we reflect on the importance of the day, the union will also pause to remember three Unifor members who lost their lives at work since last year’s Day of Mourning:

• John Iles | Local 222 Canada Cartage | December 23, 2019.
• Mohammed Hasan Bhai | Local 40 HBC Logistics | February 12, 2020

TAKE ACTION

• Share these images to your social media accounts to help spread awareness

• Observe a minute of silence at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28, 2020 to honour those who have died
• Join our Unifor team for the virtual walk “Steps for Life” to honour loved ones who died on the job

On April 28th fight for the living, and mourn for the dead.