April 28 marks the National Day of Mourning, a solemn day when we remember workers who have been killed, injured, or made ill on the job. This day stands as a powerful reminder that every worker has the fundamental right to return home safely to their families after their shift.
The National Day of Mourning was first recognized in Canada in 1984, thanks to the tireless efforts the New Democratic Party and unions and activists across the country. Workers fought hard to establish this day of remembrance, recognizing that workplace deaths and injuries are not merely accidents, but preventable tragedies.
Today, as we honour the memory of fallen workers, we must remind ourselves that the Ford Conservatives have consistently weakened workers’ ability to protect their health and safety on the job.
Bill 5’s so-called “special economic zones” are a dangerous attack on worker safety. This legislation allows the government to create zones where labour and environmental rights — including health and safety regulations — may be suspended, effectively creating spaces where protections simply don’t exist. At the same time, the Ford government’s chronic underfunding of public services overburdens workers in health care, education, child care, long-term care, and other vital sectors. The physical and mental toll of being asked to do more with less drives workplace injuries and burnout — and when overstretched services can’t meet public demand, workers also become targets for workplace violence.
Meanwhile, Ford’s Conservatives continue to block universal Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) coverage, leaving over 1.5 million workers — one in four — without protections when they are hurt on the job. Cuts to workplace safety inspections have never been restored, leaving dangerous conditions unaddressed and workers unprotected. And the cancellation of paid sick days, one of the Ford government’s earliest moves, means workers are still forced to choose between their health and their livelihood — creating conditions where illness spreads through workplaces and communities.
On this National Day of Mourning, CUPE Ontario reaffirms its commitment to fighting for the safe and dignified working conditions that all workers deserve. As trade unionists, we recommit to our roles as health and safety activists, and we pledge to use every tool at our disposal — from joint workplace health and safety committees to the Occupational Health and Safety Act — to defend ourselves and our co-workers from work-related injury and illness.
We will continue to organize, resist, and demand that governments make workers’ safety and well-being a paramount priority. The fight for workplace safety is not just about preventing tragedies — it’s about building a society that values human life above all else.
