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"And while we continue to strengthen our efforts around injury and illness prevention, make no mistake: strong health and safety laws, and diligent enforcement of those laws, are still foundational for keeping workers safe on the job.” — Kevin Rebeck, MFL President
Winnipeg (30 April 2018) — On the day before the National Day of Mourning, hundreds of Manitobans from labour, government, and the families of those killed or injured on the job gathered in Winnipeg to honour Manitoba’s fallen workers with a new memorial.
Monuments pay tribute to fallen, injured and sick workers
Following the Winnipeg Day of Mourning Leaders’ Walk, on April 27, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at Memorial Park for the Manitoba Workers Memorial. The 3 monuments of the memorial will recognize Manitoba’s fallen peace officers, firefighters, and all workers.
In 2017, 27 Manitobans died as a result of a workplace injury. This includes 13 who were killed by acute hazards in their workplace and 14 more who died from occupational diseases. They may be gone, but they are not forgotten.
Enforcement of laws key to keeping workers safe on the job
“Over the years, and through many hard-fought battles, and far too many fallen workers, we have won improvements to the health and safety laws that we all count on to keep our loved ones safe at work,” said Kevin Rebeck, President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL). “And while we continue to strengthen our efforts around injury and illness prevention, make no mistake: strong health and safety laws, and diligent enforcement of those laws, are still foundational for keeping workers safe on the job.”
In 2007, the Government of Manitoba announced its support for the proposed memorial and introduced The Firefighters, Peace Officers, and Workers Memorial Foundations Act. A monument agreement was reached in 2013, with the government and the 3 memorial foundations, which included a significant contribution to the project from the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE).