April 28 is the National Day of Mourning, a day to commemorate those who have died or been injured as a result of their job. This year, Canada’s unions are calling on employers and governments to do more to protect workers. “One workplace death is already too many. Workers deserve to arrive home safely at the end of their workday.…

April 24 marks the 6th anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza building collapse that killed 1,134 garment workers in Bangladesh. Canada’s unions remain concerned about working conditions in factories where Canadian retailers source their products. “Bangladesh is the world’s second-largest garment exporter. Roughly 4 million people work in the country’s four thousand plus factories. Nearly 80 percent of these workers…

Canada’s unions are mourning the loss of three railroad workers after a train derailment in British Columbia on Monday. The Canadian Pacific (CP) train derailed east of Field, BC, near the Alberta-British Columbia boundary. “On behalf of the over 3 million CLC members, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families, friends and co-workers who are mourning the loss,”…

Canada’s unions applaud the federal government for introducing regulations to ban the import, export, manufacture, sale and use of asbestos and asbestos-containing products. The regulations, announced in December 2016 will come into force on December 30, 2018. “This is a critical step on the long road to banning asbestos, and will, without a doubt, save lives for generations to come,”…

On the afternoon of August 10, 1966, a 160-foot span of a new bridge being built over the Rideau River and Canal gave way, dropping hundreds of tons of half set concrete about 60 feet into the river valley. Nine workers were killed and another 55 injured in the disaster – Ontario’s worst workplace “accident” It’s not listed among the…

Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to make it easier for workers to report harassment and violence by implementing anti-reprisal measures, including whistleblower protection. This will make it safer for LGBTQ2SI workers to report harassment and violence in the workplace, without fear of reprisal, discrimination or stigma. “Violence and harassment should never be part of the job. It’s time…

On May 9, 1992, just eight months after opening with federal and provincial government support, an underground methane explosion killed all 26 miners working in the Westray coal mine. An official inquiry into the disaster discovered profound “stupidity and neglect” on the part of the owners, but all attempts to prosecute the company and its officials failed. It took 11…

Canada’s unions are marking the fifth anniversary of the Rana Plaza disaster by urging Canadian companies to commit to protecting and promoting the human rights of textile workers. On April 24, 2013, over one thousand garment workers were killed or injured when the Rana Plaza factory collapsed. Investigations showed that working conditions in the building did not meet safety standards.…