Workers who have been killed or injured on the job will be remembered in a ceremony in New Westminster this coming week.
The New Westminster and District Labour Council and the City of New Westminster are co-hosting a ceremony on Friday, April 28 to mark the National Day of Mourning. It’s set for 11 a.m. at Westminster Pier Park.
Scheduled speakers include Chief Rhonda Larrabee of the Qayqayt First Nation, New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone, and labour council executive board members Christy Slusarenko and Owen Goodwin.
The event will also feature tributes from the New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services honour guard, a piper, and ILWU members on the Fraser River who will end a moment of silence with a blast from their tugboat horns.
“One workplace death is already too many, and there are nearly 1,000 workplace deaths in Canada every year,” said Janet Andrews, secretary-treasurer of the New Westminster and District Labour Council, in a press release.
“The labour movement has won current health and safety measures through years of hard work and advocacy. Employers must resource and respect health and safety committees, and workers need to know their rights and use those rights to keep themselves and their co-workers safe at work.”
The release notes that union members across Canada will be joining in observances to highlight the Canadian Labour Congress’s campaign to empower workers to “Know your rights; use the tools; defend our wins.”
The New Westminster and District Labour Council's territory also includes Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Delta, Surrey, Maple Ridge and Langley.
The ceremony is open to the public.
(NOTE: This story has been edited to fix an incorrect time.)
