The Grey Bruce Labour Council will hold National Day of Mourning events to remember the one worker a day who succumbs to a workplace-related incident in Ontario.
Bruce County Vice President Dave Trumble said April 28 is a day to memorialize and remember workers who have been killed or made sick on the job.
"Every year, you'll see about 80 or 90 workplace deaths, and that statistic is clearly correct, but that sort of that's the fall, struck by a remote accident or electrocution or something in a confined space," revealed Trumble. "The reality in Ontario is about one worker a day succumbs due to something associated with the workplace."
Trumble pointed to asbestos as an example, where a worker exposed decades ago becomes sick from exposure and eventually succumbs to the diseases associated with exposure.
Trumble shared that it was actually the Canadian Union of Public Employees that first came up with the concept of a day to remember those workers in the early 1980s.
"Because every time we remember those workers, we tend to have the opportunity to reinvigorate our commitment to making sure that the same type of tragedy does not happen," Trumble continued. "So the Grey Bruce Labor Council is very fortunate that we have three events taking place in our region, and we will do everything we possibly can to ensure that people take a moment to memorialize and remember those workers."
The Grey Bruce Labour Council is leading several Day of Mourning Ceremonies in the region, marking 30 years since their first event. The Labour Council will chair the event at Bruce Power, while other events will be held in Hanover and Chesley. The Hanover event will take place at Heritage Square at 11 a.m. on April 28, coordinated by Labour Council delegate Hazel Pratt. The Chesley ceremony will take place at the Chesley Community Centre Arena at 10 a.m. on April 25 and is coordinated by Labour Council VP Chris Stephen. Both the Hanover and Chesley events are open to the public.
Over 100 countries now observe the Day of Mourning. Public buildings in Canada are expected to lower flags to half-staff, and even if no official ceremony is undertaken, vast numbers of workplaces take time at 11 a.m. to observe a moment of remembrance.
Trumble urged people to take the time to memorialize those coworkers who may be in their community or nation.
"Take the time to say this could impact me, this could impact someone I know. Let's take a step to make sure we do everything possible to make the workplace safe," he said.
Trumble called on everyone to do everything possible to prevent workplace tragedies.
"The most important thing for a worker is to never, ever be afraid to exercise the rights the Occupational Health and Safety Act gives you. The right to refuse, the right to know, and the right to participate," he stressed. "And the opposite side of that same point is that when employers have workers that want to exercise their rights, they embrace it."
In only the last two years, people who have retired from the utility sector in the Grey Bruce region have submitted claims to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board for mesothelioma, an often fatal lung condition that is known to occur as a direct result of asbestos exposure. There was also a local hit-by/crushing fatality and two fatal electrical contacts in the extended utility industry.
"Day over day, without exception, somewhere in Canada, at least one family has received the news that a loved one has been killed on the job. A loved one that left for work only a few hours ago. A loved one that had aspirations and dreams just like any other person," said a statement from the labour council. "Such immediate loss is but one way to count lives lost in the pursuit of a livelihood. Such acute losses may come about as result of a fall, electrocution, crushing incident, motor vehicle accident, suffocation, violence or struck by an object to name only a few examples."