BCGEU members from communities around our province will be attending Day of Mourning events on April 28th. Some will be there to honour and remember their co-workers and family members. Some will attend to show solidarity with those who have been affected by the death of a worker. The provincial government will be lowering flags on all provincial government buildings to honour the day. 

In 2018, BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) counted 187 fatal claims numbers for workers in B.C. who lost their lives to workplace injury or disease. Experience tells us that every one of these deaths and injuries were preventable. 

Join us in honouring the memory of killed and injured workers on April 28, 2019. Visit http://www.dayofmourning.bc.ca for a list of local ceremonies and to order free decals and posters. 

There is much work to be done to improve regulations and enforcement, to protect workers. The BCGEU, the BCFED and other unions continue to lobby government and the Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) to increase prevention measures, write more safety orders, levy more penalties and launch more criminal prosecutions against negligent employers. 

Every year the BCGEU and Labour Councils organize activities in their workplaces and communities to commemorate April 28. BCGEU members are encouraged to attend Day of Mourning events in their communities and remember the workers who have lost their lives or have been injured in the workplace. 

As April 28th falls a Sunday this year, we encourage worksites to acknowledge these workers either on the Friday, April 26th, or on Monday April 29.

On Sunday, April 28, WorkSafeBC, the BCFED, and the Business Council of British Columbia will co-host a ceremony in Vancouver:

Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver
at the Line of Work Memorial
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Join BCGEU president Stephanie Smith and other members at this important event

Download PDF Resources:

• BCGEU Day of Mourning poster
• B.C. Day of Mourning Facts
• Day of Mourning Backgrounder

UWU/MoveUP