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Oakville remembers fallen workers By Nathan Howes SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER It was a sombre Saturday as dozens of people gathered at Centennial Square to remember Canada's fallen workers. April 28 was the National Day of Mourning -- an annual day of remembrance for all workers who have been killed or injured on the job in Canada. The day is also used to publicly campaign for better ways to protect workers on the job. "It's only the regulations we pass as a community and our government that protect us from the bad players in the economy who do not care about making sure every worker goes home safe at the end of every shift to their family," said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "The Town of Oakville has a full and fierce commitment to that and we're very proud of our record in that area." Canada was the first country to formally observe the day when the federal government officially recognized it in 1991. April 28 was chosen as the date of observance since it was the day the first thorough Workers' Compensation Act was passed in Ontario. Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn said after a number of studies were done on workplace safety, companies with the best health and safety records were found to 9 · Wednesday, May 2, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com "Go in there and prove you're a hard worker, but make sure you're a safe worker." Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn be the most profitable companies. "There's a really strong business case to be made for having a safe workplace," said Flynn. "That, I think, is a message that we need to get across because in the past I think it's been thought that somehow you could become more profitable by being less safe." Flynn said the most dangerous jobs are most often people's first jobs and the message given to young people right now is the value in being "hard working and obedient." "It's the wrong message," he said. The right message is to "go in there and prove you're a hard worker, but make sure you're a safe worker," Flynn added. Jeannie Howe, a member of the Hamilton and District Injured Workers Group, is one of many who've been injured on the job. She suf- fered her injury when she worked at a manufacturing plant in Oakville. "You can't see my injury because I'm not wearing a brace -- I'm not wobbling all the time, but my back injury (and) my bulged discs will never heal. No one sent me for an MRI until 12 months after my injury," said Howe. Howe said she lost two full-time jobs because of her injury. Since 2005, she's been involved with the injured workers group "fighting for a better and safer workplace." According to the Association of Workers' Compensation Board of Canada, 1,014 workplace deaths were recorded in Canada in 2010 -- an increase from 939 the previous year. This represents nearly three deaths a day. In Ontario, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has received 71 fatality claims and 39,563 claims for injuries and occupational disease this year as of Feb. 29. Halton MP Lisa Raitt said she gets an e-mail every morning as the Minister of Labour informing her of accidents and incidents in the workplace. She sees the names of individuals who pass away as a result of "just doing what we do everyday -- which is go to work." See Refusing page 10 nikki wesley / oakville beaver / @halton_photog remembering: Ontario Public Service Employees' Union (OPSEU) President Local 506 Edie Strachan lays a wreath during the Day of Mourning at the memorial held outside of Central Library Saturday afternoon. Mom deserves nothing but the BEST 10 LESSONS for SPECIAL OFFER $ Learn with or without a partner. *Limited to first New adult students over 21 years only. 20 * 35 callers. 225 Lakeshore Rd. E. (2nd Floor) between Dunn St. and George St. OAKVILLE 1092 Main Street W. near Cline Ave. HAMILTON www.fredastaire .ca 905 815-3237 905 522-3237 TKR252 TKR252