L258 IBEW video delivers messages about Canada's National Day of Mourning 2020.

Message from Tom Reid, IBEW First District International Vice President:

The National Day of Mourning, held annually on April 28th, was officially recognized by the federal government in 1991, eight years after the day of remembrance was launched by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and has since spread to at least 80 countries around the world. This day is a tribute to those men and women who have died as a result of a workplace illness or accident.

The IBEW was originally formed by workers who wanted to improve safety in their workplace. Our union was formed on the need for safety at a time when 1 in 2 electrical workers were being killed on the job every day; even our own founding President Henry Miller died from a workplace incident. Today, safety continues to be a main focus of our Local Unions mandate; safety is paramount to the IBEW!

With respect to this year’s National Day of Mourning, the theme on April 28th is “Stop the Pandemic at Work”. Right now, millions of workers who have been deemed essential are risking their wellbeing every day and are working tirelessly to keep our country running during this unprecedented time. Many of our IBEW members fall into this category and continue to provide critical services which include healthcare, utilities, telecommunications, railroads, government and construction, just to name a few. We must ensure that front-line workers have the protective equipment they need, and the training to use it safely. We must also ensure that those who have not been deemed essential stay home and adhere to physical distancing regulations. By doing this we reduce the transmission of this virus and help keep essential workers safe.

No worker should die from their job; workers deserve to arrive home safely at the end of their workday but too many workers are dying from work. Workplace accidents and illnesses are preventable and should never be seen as “just part of the job”. Workers need to be reminded that they have the right to know about the hazards in their workplace and receive the training they need to be able to do their jobs safely. They have the right to participate in decisions that could affect their health and safety and most importantly they have the right to refuse work that could endanger their health and safety or that of others.

April 28th is the day we remember those whose lives were lost and those whose lives were forever changed because of something that happened in their workplace. It is also the day when we resolve to make every workplace a safe and healthy place to earn a living.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work and therefore will change the way we hold vigils and ceremonies this year. On Tuesday, April 28th, 2020, we ask that you mark the day by lighting a candle in your home and posting a photo to social media with hashtag #WorkersDayofMourning and #StopthePandemicAtWork. Frontline workers are also encouraged to share a photo in your uniform or protective apparel using the same hashtags. While we can’t meet in person, we can hold virtual memorials and share a moment of silence over video or teleconference. We must continue to bring visibility to the importance of commemorating the National Day of Mourning. We must insist that all levels of government do more to enforce existing health and safety laws and vigorously prosecute violations when a worker is killed or seriously injured.

We owe it to the families who have lost their loved ones to preventable workplace accidents and illnesses to do better for today’s workers. Everyone deserves to return home to their loved ones at the end of the day.

In solidarity,
Tom Reid
International Vice President

Canadian Labour Congress - listing of events, including virtual events, from across Canada

April 28th is the labour movement’s most solemn day, but also one to refocus our commitment to prevent future workplace injuries and deaths. Every year, thousands of workers, friends and families of fallen workers gather at ceremonies across Canada to recognize the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. Those activities must look very different now as we all do our part to limit the spread of the virus and protect those most vulnerable to serious health impacts. This year, we will come together online from inside our homes in communities across the country. As we mourn for the dead, the Canadian Labour Congress continues to fight for the living.

Message from Laird Cronk, President of the BC Federation of Labour

Dear Friends,

I wanted to let you know about the plans for this year’s commemoration of the National Day of Mourning on April 28. 

As you know, the National Day of Mourning honours the memory of workers who have been killed, injured, or suffered illness as a result of their work. This is one of the most sacred days on our calendar. 

It causes all of us real pain to know we can’t gather in person this year because of the pandemic – which is itself a reminder of the dangers facing working people. But this date is too important for us to allow it to go unmarked. 

So once again we are co-sponsoring the Day of Mourning along with the WCB, the Business Council of BC and the Vancouver and District Labour Council. This year, instead of a face-to-face event, we will be observing the day with a virtual ceremony which begins at 10:30 am on Tuesday, April 28, 2020. 

Please join us then at https://DayOfMourning.bc.ca. And encourage friends, colleagues and members to come too. 

In addition, I ask that you consider changing your Facebook profile picture on April 28 to mark the Day of Mourning. The images you need to do this, along with simple instructions, can be accessed on the BC Federation of Labour website. 

We may be separated by this pandemic, but we can still be together in grief, condolence and solidarity. 

We’ll mourn the dead and fight for the living. That means we recommit to our efforts to protect the safety and well-being of working people by: 

Improving workplace health and safety; 

Rigorously enforcing occupational health and safety regulations – and holding those who violate them to account;

Preserving the dignity of the thousands of workers who suffer injury or illness; and 

Ensuring full compensation to those who have been hurt at work. 

Together, we’ll do all we can to reach the goal I know you and I share: a province where every worker can go home safe and healthy at the end of every workday. 

In solidarity, 
W. LAIRD CRONK
President, BC Federation of Labour