CUPE is calling on members, locals, and labour councils across Canada to take action to fight for the elimination of injuries and fatalities at work. On April 28, the Day of Mourning, we encourage all locals to take part in area activities through your local labour councils and community organizations.
April 28, 2010, will mark the 26th anniversary of the Day of Mourning. The day was created through the work of CUPE’s National Health and Safety Committee, adopted by the Canadian Labour Congress and is now recognized in more than 100 countries around the world.
The Day of Mourning reminds us that we need stronger legislation and more enforcement officers to hold employers accountable for worker health.
Here’s what you can do:
- Use April 28 to spread the word and take action by bringing workplace hazards to the forefront in your workplace.
- Contact CUPE’s National Health and Safety Branch for April 28 materials (bookmark, poster, workers’ statement, checklist, flag and t-shirt order forms).
- Organize an event in your community or workplace using April 28 materials.
- Work with your union local stewards.
As part of the year of the steward, have your local health and safety committee activists work with stewards and use the Day of Mourning to start conducting regular workplace inspections. These inspections can uncover hazards and dangers that could lead to workplace injuries. Remember, workplace injuries and fatalities cannot truly be called accidents, and almost always could have been prevented.
Download and print the Workers’ Statement on the Day of Mourning
(407 kB)
