Day of Mourning: Message from the President

Dear Members,

April 28 is the annual Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the job.

Workers and employers across the world mark this occasion together at 11 AM on the day, either with a moment of silence in the workplace, wearing a black armband or memorial pin, or attending one of the many ceremonies being held in communities across Canada. The symbol for the Day of Mourning is a canary, used in times past by miners to gauge the quality and safety of the air in the mines in which they worked.

Recently, I sent a letter to all of COPE 378’s employers asking them to participate in recognizing the Day of Mourning. Every year, many of our employers participate in this event and encourage everyone in the workplace to mark the occasion. If you have not yet heard from your employer in this regard, we would encourage you to speak with a manger about finding an appropriate way for your workplace to take a moment to remember those workers killed or injured on the job, or suffering from an occupational disease.

In doing this, you will be joining thousands of workers across Canada who take a moment out of their day to reflect upon and remember the enormous numbers of Canadians killed and injured on the job every year.

Download the BC Federation of Labour's Day of Mourning Poster for your worksite here.

The National Day of Mourning for workers killed and injured on the job started over two decades ago and is now recognized around the globe. Launched by the Canadian Labour Congress in 1983, the Day of Mourning has been formally recognized by municipal and provincial government across Canada, and in 1991 was formally recognized by the Government of Canada.

On April 28, the Canadian flag on Parliament Hill flies at half-mast, just as it does at Provincial Legislatures and City Halls across the country.

Since then, The Day of Mourning has been recognized in over 80 countries and has been formally adopted by the AFL-CIO in the United States and the International Confederation of Free Trade.

April 28 is an opportunity for workers and employers to remember the dead, honour the injured and sick, as well as publicly renew their commitment to improve health and safety in the workplace.

An average of three workers die every week in BC, 2,600 injuries are reported, and 17 workers are permanently disabled every working day, according to the Workers Compensation Board.

In recent years we have seen a heartening amount of cooperation and participation with our employer partners, and I very much hope that you will join us in marking the occasion this year.

In 2008 there were 160 workplace deaths accepted by Workers Compensation Board in British Columbia, including 30 in construction, 26 in transportation and road-related services, 18 in forestry, 12 in public administration, and 4 young workers between the ages of 15 to 24. In 2009, the WCB reports 120 workplace deaths. These numbers, however, exclude a number of criteria for workplace deaths, and the actual numbers are likely much, much higher.

Please join us on April 28, 2011 as we continue to fight for the living and mourn for the dead, honour the injured and pledge to make BC a safer place to work.

If you would like more information on the Day of Mourning please visit the Canadian Labour Congress website at clc.ctc.ca or the BC Federation of Labour at bcfed.ca

For information on Day of Mourning ceremonies being held in communities across BC, please visit the events section of cope378.ca.

Yours,

Andy Ross, President
COPE 378