Participants at CUPE’s Health and Safety forum heard from three passionate speakers about the impact climate change has had on the health and safety of workers.
Carla Lipsig-Mumme, a York University professor and founding director of the Centre for Research on Work and Society, spoke about her research on the impact of climate change on Canadians’ work environments.
“Climate change is already changing how we work, what we produce, and where we produce it,” she said. “However the role of work and workers has been strangely absent from policy and social science research. Labour and environmental movements have yet to effectively address the role of climate change in the world of work.”
Patrick Rondeau, advisor for Just Transition at the Fédération des travailleurs et des travailleuses du Québec (FTQ), said that we need to educate our members and engage them in solutions.
Tara Peel, national director for Health, Safety and the Environment at the Canadian Labour Congress, spoke about the connection between workplace health, environmental health and climate change.