Dear Sisters and Brothers,

National Day of Mourning

This is our 34th year of observing April 28 as the National Day of Mourning to remember and honour those workers who have died or who have been injured on the job.

As we reflect on the importance of the Day, we pause to keep our three Unifor brothers who lost their lives at work last year, in our thoughts.

Our fallen members since last Day of Mourning 2017:
Adam Bowden, L.112 Toromont – January 30, 2018
Eric Labelle, L.8284 Expertech – July 4, 2017
James G. Macleod, L.10-B Domtar Pulp Mill – June 29, 2017

We take a solemn moment to remember all workers across our country that went to work and did not come home, as well as the hundreds of occupational disease cases caused by asbestos and other chemical exposures.

Unifor continues to fight for removal of asbestos from workplaces and buildings as asbestos continues to be the number one cause of occupational death in Canada. More than 2,000 people die every year from diseases caused by exposure to asbestos—mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Death from mesothelioma increased 60 percent between 2000 and 2012.

We fight every day to make a difference by demanding that the places where Canadians work
must be safe. We have demanded workplace protections for victims of domestic violence and
we are taking on the stigma of mental illness and factoring it into what makes a workplace
healthy and safe because we know that not all injuries are visible injuries.

On April 28, please participate in Day of Mourning events in your workplace and your
community. We call on our politicians to make Occupational Health and Safety a priority when
considering legislation that impacts workplaces and communities.

The message is clear – one workers death is one too many. Fight for the living, mourn for the
dead.
In solidarity,
Jerry Dias                                                        Sari Sairanen
National President                                         Director, Health, Safety and Environment