Our union, 280,000 members strong and united, is now two members fewer. Our deepest sympathies are with the families, friends, co-workers, and neighbours of the members of Local 4705 in Sudbury and of Local 5167 in Hamilton who tragically lost their lives.

Today, though this may be little consolation, CUPE Ontario is with you in this moment of unimaginable sadness. We’re with you because we are a union – a union that never forgets the members we’ve lost, nor the co-workers with whom we’ve worked side by side.

Their workplace deaths are reminders that our efforts to ensure we can deliver services safely must be escalated. “An injury to one is an injury to all,” we say together as we recommit to holding employers responsible for our wellbeing. Today, we continue this work with the understanding that we are all, as a union, connected to each other, through good times and bad.