April 28 is the National Day of Mourning for workers killed, injured or made ill because of hazards on the job. It is a day to pay tribute to our fallen friends and comrades, and to renew our commitment to advocacy and education. As always, we strive for workplaces that are safe, healthy and just, and in which no one has to sacrifice their wellbeing or life for their job.
The Day of Mourning has its roots in the labour movement, and CUPE played a foundational role in establishing the day in Canada. At its 1983 convention, CUPE National adopted a resolution that called for a day of mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. In 1984, the CUPE National Health and Safety Committee submitted a similar resolution to the Canadian Labour Congress convention, where if was adopted.
Campaigning by labour and the NDP finally won the Canadian government’s official recognition, in 1990, of April 28 as a national Workers’ Day of Mourning. Canada was the first country in the world to proclaim such a day, and more countries soon followed suit.
Therefore we mark this date every year in commemoration of those who have lost their lives or who have suffered a work-related injury or illness. Since the last Day of Mourning, CUPE has lost Brother Michael Boulanger to a workplace accident. Michael was a municipal worker for the City of Greater Sudbury and a member of CUPE 4705, and this is a day to honour him.
We will commemorate his life and those of others we’ve lost at Day of Mourning events held in communities across the province. We must also commit to learning more about preventing injury, death and illness through work – for instance, by educating ourselves about proposed new regulations for protecting workers from heat stress and heat-related illnesses. These regulations are the initiative of unions and Ontario New Democrats – regulations that are more important than ever for workers in a time of rapid climate change.
Although a provincial election is still likely two years away, it’s never too early to remind ourselves of the damage that the Ford PCs have done to workers’ health and safety, from repealing sick leave provisions, to cutting workplace safety inspections, to threatening workers’ mental health through underfunding and understaffing in our public services.
In the face of these challenges, we each of us must become activists for health and safety, and use every available tool, especially joint workplace health and safety committees, to ensure that work-related injuries and deaths are prevented.
We must also be ready to use the powers of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and be prepared to use our right to refuse unsafe work; to know what constitutes a hazard in our workplace; and to know that we cannot be subject to reprisal for raising health and safety issues.
Above all, workers deserve to go to work and return home healthy and whole at the end of each day. On the Day of Mourning and every day, we must keep this as our guiding principle.
