At events across the country, Canada’s unions are recognizing the National Day of Mourning today to remember those who have been killed or injured on the job.

Sadly, there are more than a thousand workplace fatalities each year in our country. Last year, 22 Manitoba workers died from incidents and illnesses at work, including members from our own union.

In July, Tyler Riley Manych, was killed while training with the Manitoba Wildfire Service in The Pas. And in December, Gunnar Einarson – a Department of Highways Operator and MGEU Trades member – also passed away in the line of duty.

Last year, the MGEU also mourned the loss of two Correctional Officers from the Milner Ridge Correctional Centre -- Alfred Unrau and Mark Clark -- who were tragically killed on their way to work.

“It’s so important that we are here today to remember and honour those lives lost due to a workplace tragedy and to recognize that the tragedy doesn’t end with the worker… there are loved ones, family members, friends, and co-workers, who are directly affected and left behind,” said MGEU President, Kyle Ross at a ceremony held this morning at Winnipeg City Hall. “This day is about remembrance – it is also about committing to do better.”

Making things better for workers takes many different forms. After a great deal of lobbying this year, the union finally got the Province to introduce Bill 25, which will give wildfire fighters the same presumptive coverage as urban firefighters, making it easier for these workers who contract certain types of cancers or heart injuries to establish the injury was work-related.

And since 2020, the MGEU has been focused on making sure that mental health on the job for all workers is given the same priority as their physical health through the union’s Healthy Minds At Work campaign.

“The workers we honour today may be gone, but they are not forgotten. They are the reason we continue to work towards better legislation and they are the reason we continue to push employers to reduce risks on the job and make workplaces safer. Because every worker deserves to make it home safely at the end of their shift.”

About the National Day of Mourning

First observed in 1984 by the Canadian Labour Congress, the Day of Mourning remembers workers killed or injured on the job.

On December 28, 1990, the Parliament of Canada passed a private members Bill, officially declaring the National Day of Mourning, first held April 28, 1991.

Since then, the Day of Mourning has spread to more than 80 countries around the world and has been officially adopted by the AFL-CIO and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.