The national Day of Mourning in honour of workers killed or injured on the job April 28 was marked with a brief ceremony outside the United Steelworkers Local 6166 building in Thompson.
More than 20 Manitobans died on the job in 2021 — 21 according to the Workers Compensation Board, 26 according to the Manitoba Federation of Labour and 27 according to USW Local 6166’s Scott Clemens, whose list of people who died while working included the late Thomson MLA Danielle Adams, who was on the way to the legislature in Winnipeg when she was killed in a highway accident in December.
“Those numbers, they aren’t acceptable,” said USW Local 6166 president Warren Luky, noting that Manitoba’s workplace fatalities rose 30 per cent from the prior year. “If we think that going to work will mean you many have to die, that’s not acceptable.”
Safety in the workplace has come a long way, said Mayor Colleen Smook.
“Back when Thompson was built, safety and concern wasn’t uppermost,” she said. “Definitely our Steelworkers have brought this to the forefront. And we can tell by the safety of our mines.”
Also speaking at the Thompson ceremony was former Churchill MP Rod Murphy, who was instrumental in getting the federal government to pass legislation recognizing April 28 as a day of remembrance for people who died at work back in 1991.
“That’s what this whole piece of legislation is about,” he said. “We didn’t change the world. But we made sure that people are paying attention to the issue, paying attention to the fact that people loves their lives, have lost there lives, and we can do something about it.”
Flags were lowered to half-mast as Manitoba’s provincial government buildings to mark the day.
“This day of observance is an annual, solemn reminder of the importance of occupational safety and health and the human costs associated with workplace injuries and fatalities.,” said Government Services Minister Reg Helwer in a press release.
In Winnipeg, a new Workers Memorial consisting of three monuments honouring workers, firefighters and peace officers who died on the job, was unveiled at Memorial Park.
“This memorial will serve as a space to remember those we have lost, but also to serve as a reminder of the necessity of making workplaces safer in our province,” said Kevin Rebeck, chair of the Workers Memorial Foundation and president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour.
Alex Forrest, chair of the Firefighters Memorial Foundation and president of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg, said nearly 120 firefighters have died in the line of duty in Manitoba.
“All firefighters from all firefighting professions from every corner of this province should be very proud of this memorial,” Forrest said.
Rob Belanger, chair of the Peace Officers Memorial Foundation, said getting the monument built was along process.
“We finally have a place to properly honour our police and peace officers who have served this province and have given the ultimate sacrifice protecting Manitoba communities.”
A nationally recognized date since the Canadian Parliament passed the Workers Mourning Day Act in 1991, eight years after day of remembrance was launched by the Canadian Labour Congress, the Day of Mourning has been recognized in more than 100 countries and is known as Workers’ Memorial Day and as International Workers’ Memorial Day by the International Labour Organization and the International Trade Union Confederation.
In addition to being a day to remember workers who were hurt and killed, April 28 is also an opportunity for Canadians to collectively renew their commitment to improving health and safety in the workforce to prevent more tragedies.
The Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada says that 925 workplace fatalities were recorded across the country in 2019, with 882 of those being male workers and 29 of them young workers aged 15 to 24. That same year, there were 271,806 accepted workplace injury claims in Canada, including 33,615 that affected workers between 15 and 24 years of age.
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