National Day of Mourning: Reflections on creating safer workplaces for all workers

Every April 28, AMAPCEO joins workers, labour organizations, and other unions across the country to mark the National Day of Mourning, a day dedicated to commemorating workers who have died or suffered illness or injury as a result of their work.

On this solemn occasion, we pay our respects lost or injured workers and to their families. We also take the opportunity to reflect on the importance of workplace health and safety provisions, and on how we can create safer workplaces for all workers—unionized or not. 

AMAPCEO’s first priority as union is always to protect the health of our members at work. And we know that the best line of defense against workplace safety issues is educated members and empowered advocates. 

Our trained Health, Safety and Wellness Representatives act on behalf of their colleagues to address and improve health and safety conditions at work, and meet regularly with the employer, often as part of the Joint Health and Safety Committee, to address workplace safety issues. This June, we will be holding our biannual Health and Safety Conference, as part of our commitment to continuing education for our Health and Safety Representatives. 

AMAPCEO provides quick resources directly to you, the members, to ensure you always know your right to refuse unsafe work. If ever you feel that your workplace is not safe, we urge you to contact your union right away. 

We also advocate for workers’ rights through donations to and sponsorships of labour initiatives, and by standing in solidarity with other unions and labour organizations, such as the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Professional Unions’ Network of Canada, and Public Services International.

The National Day of Mourning serves as an important reminder that while the nature of many workplaces has changed since the day was first established in 1991, workplace health and safety issues remain a very present threat—one that we are committed to fighting, through education and advocacy, on behalf of all workers, everywhere.

Stronger together,