More than 50 people gathered at Fordview Park on Friday afternoon to observe the National Day of Mourning.
“This is a day to commemorate those who have died or been injured as a result of their job,” said Brantford and District Labor Council president Cory Judson. “This year’s theme — Know Your Rights, Use the Tools, Defend Our Wins – is aimed at supporting and empowering workers to actively participate in their workplace health and safety.”
He told the crowd that employers are responsible for upholding health and safety standards in the workplace that includes providing the necessary equipment and training.
“One workplace death is already too many,” he added. “Workers deserve to arrive home at the end of their workday and to live a life free of workplace injuries.”
There were 220 workplace fatalities and close to 200,000 WSIB claims in 2022 in the province of Ontario, but Judson noted that the numbers are believed to be much higher when considering illness, disease, and death as a result of exposure to workplace hazards that go unreported .
Andrew Dukeshire, a member of CUPE Local 181 working for the City of Brantford, just completed a two-week Train the Trainer course at the Worker’s Health and Safety Centre.
“Go to work. Don’t die. It’s pretty simple,” he told those gathered in the small park adjacent to the Lorne Bridge in downtown Brantford. “Sadly, for many that concept, that idea, that dream is no longer a reality. They couldn’t make shift change. Work killed them.”
Dukeshire said he’d like to see jail time for employers who don’t follow health and safety standards resulting in a workplace injury or death because fines don’t mean much to big companies.
Wayne Marzec of Brantford, a certified safety officer with UA Local 67 Pipefitters and Steamfitters, encourages workers to have a toolbox talk each morning to remind everyone of proper procedures and to get people talking about workplace concerns.
He said the union urges its members to take courses such as first aid, and working from heights.
“We start off with training,” said Marzec. “When you train, you gain. That’s the key.”