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Workers unite during National Day of MourningWest Ray bill. Thats a crime, he said.OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFFThe crime of employers getting away withmurder, by letting people get killed on theA group of about 50 people got together tojob, needs to be stopped. We want action by allmourn the dead and demand better work-levels of government to stop needless injuriesplace health and safety laws on Thursday,and workplace deaths.April 28.MacDonald called on further preventionThe gathering took place during thepractices in the workplace and a betterNational Day of Mourning outside the Oakvilleenforcement of the laws that would punishPublic Library by a granite monument toemployers for violating safety rules.honour those who were injured or killed inHe added police officers need to be trainedthe workplace. The Oakville and Districtto look for more than foul play when investi-Labour Council organized the event.gating a workplace death.According to Workplace Safety & InsuranceThey need to investigate whether or notBoard statistics, 491 people died in Ontariothere was compliance by the employer tolast year as a result of workplace incident.provide that safe and healthy workplace. If Twenty people on average lost their livesthere hasnt been, they need to be heldper week last year in Canada, and thats notaccountable, MacDonald told the gathering.acceptable. We should be working towardsMacDonald compared the National Day of zero injuries, zero deaths and thats going toMourning to Remembrance Day, as a meansbe the number, said Chris MacDonald, theof remembering those who died at work, justOntario director for the Canadian LabourMICHELLE Sas we remember those who died in war.IU / OAKVILLE BEAVERCongress, who was the keynote speaker at theAs activists in a union and health andDAY OF MOURNING:Tim Batke, of the Oakville and District Labour Council and CAW Localevent.safety activists, we need to continue to707, puts up a flag during the National Day of Mourning ceremony outside the Oakville PublicWhats outrageous is they died as a resultremember and renew our fight every day, whyLibrary on Thursday.of entirely preventable incidents. Because of we work towards getting a healthier and saferfatal diseases like cancer or asbestosis causedworkplace for everyone, thats why we do theRaitt and a number of candidates in theable for workplace deaths and injuries and by exposure to carcinogens at their workplaceOakville and Halton ridinwork we do as activists, he said.gs in the federalcalled on politicians to be tough on crime.that could have been prevented.The National Day of Mourning was estab-election.The legislation exists. The West Ray bill The event included local politicians inMlished in 1984 by the Canadian LabouracDonald said the day was the perfectexists because of workers that were killed in a Mayor Rob Burton, Councillors Max Khan,opportunity to press politicians over the issuemine. We fought as a movement to have theCongress. Today, it is recognized in more Pam Damoff, Jeff Knoll and Marc Grant,of workplace safety.Wthan 100 countries and similar events tookest Ray bill enacted and now, years later, Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn, Halton MP LisaHplace in more than 40 Ontario communities.e said employers have to be held account-only two charges have been laid under the www.insideHALTON.com OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, May 4, 2011 14