Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Every April 28, AMAPCEO joins workers, labour organizations, and other unions across the country to mark the National Day of Mourning for workers who have died or suffered illness or injury as a result of their work.
This commemoration is not only a demonstration of respect to those workers and to their surviving families and friends—it is also an annual reminder of the continued importance of the fight for worker safety. Everyone has the right to a safe, healthy working environment. Our work helps us provide for ourselves and our families. It helps support our lives; it should never put them at undue risk.
As a union, our members’ health, safety, and wellness are paramount. AMAPCEO has Health, Safety and Wellness Representatives in every workplace, who are trained to act on behalf of their colleagues to address and improve health and safety conditions at work.
This April I am keenly aware that, however much some political leaders would like to pretend the pandemic is over, COVID-19 is still a factor for workers across the country, including AMAPCEO members, who have, by and large, returned to their workplaces for at least part of the week.
Part of our commitment to worker safety means that AMAPCEO has repeatedly fought to ensure that the return to the workplace is done slowly, safely, and gradually. We also continue to pressure the provincial government to take concrete steps and use proven measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the Ontario’s workplaces. We have reminded our members that all Ontarians have the right to refuse work they feel is unsafe, and that your union supports you in that right.
On this National Day of Mourning, we grieve for and honour those who lost their lives or who suffered illness or injury as a result of their work. We know cannot change the past, but we can, will, and must remind ourselves what we are fighting for—workplaces where all employees feel safe.
Stronger together,
Dave Bulmer
President & CEO