MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts in Winnipeg, MB : NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING: Remembering lives lost and people injured on the job

NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING: Remembering lives lost and people injured on the job

Posted April 26th, 2012

April 24, 2012

Winnipeg – The MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts launches this Friday, April 27 with a youth-led march, hosted by SAFE Workers of Tomorrow , in honour of the National Day of Mourning. The march departs at 12:00 PM from the Manitoba Federation of Labour Union Centre at 275 Broadway.

Celebrated nationally on April 28, the day serves to remember workers killed or injured on the job and aims to publicly renew the commitment to making workplaces safer for everyone. On April 28, the Manitoba Federation of Labour will host a candlelight vigil, also in conjunction with the festival and the National Day of Mourning, at 6:00 PM in Room 2C, Union Centre at 275 Broadway.

In 2010, workplace deaths in Canada were reported at 1014*, an increase from 939 the previous year. This represents more than 2.78 deaths every day. This year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Nova Scotia Westray Mine Disaster, which claimed the lives of 26 workers and prompted an amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada. On March 31, 2004, the legislation of the Westray bill passed and established new legal duties for workplace health and safety.

SAFE Workers of Tomorrow organizes their efforts to bring public awareness, education, and training in workplace safety and health. The Manitoba Federation of Labour is the province’s central labour body and represents the interests of CLC affiliated unions in Manitoba.
The 2012 theme for MayWorks Festival of Labour and the Arts is “Change the World”. The multi-disciplinary festival focuses on the relationship between working class issues and their artistic expression in song, poetry, photography, dance, drama or art. Join us in changing the world and celebrating the struggle for worker rights from April 27 to June 2 at venues throughout the city!

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Media Contact: Nat Felicitas | 998-4748 | mayworksmedia@gmail.com

*Fatalities accepted in 2010 according to “Number of Fatalities, by Jurisdiction 1993-2010” summary table, statistics from the Association of Workers Compensation Boards of Canada.