Day of Mourning: Remember the dead, protect the living
On April 28, we pause to remember workers who didn’t make it home.
Our members work on the water, on open decks, in engine rooms, around heavy equipment, in rough weather and face-to-face with the public.
We’ve seen serious injuries from equipment failures, workers hurt during drills, assaults from passengers and lives lost.
Our members step up in emergencies, deal with frustrated passengers and carry the responsibility of getting people home safely.
As workers, we play a critical role in keeping workplaces safe. Reporting injuries, unsafe conditions and near misses, no matter how minor, protects you and your coworkers. If something doesn’t feel right, it needs to be flagged.
Workers play a part. But ultimately, it’s employers who are legally responsible for identifying hazards, providing proper safety equipment, training and supervising workers, and enforcing safety rules. If something isn’t safe, it’s the employer’s job to fix it.
Too often, we’ve seen employers try to blame individual workers when the employer’s failure to create a safe environment leads to injury or death.
BCFMWU Brother Kenny Chohan died at Deas Dock in 2020. Today, BC Ferries is still fighting to waive the $670,000 fine imposed by WorkSafe BC.
On the April 28, we remember Kenny, and every worker who should have made it home. Real safety means real accountability. We won’t stop pushing for it.
