Remembering the 31 who died from work

The National Day of Mourning remembers all of the people across the country who were killed at work. This year, in Saskatchewan, 31 people lost their lives due to workplace injuries.
The people killed at work in 2017 range in age from 19 – Austyn Schenstead, 19, struck by a fallen object – to 86 – Harvie Hawks, killed by asbestos exposure.
Maryann Federko, president of the Yorkton Labour Council, says that every day an employee goes to work, they should be able to come home safe. The group actively lobbies the government to more strictly enforce occupational safety and health rules, as well as lobbying for stricter punishment for those who violate those rules.
One of the things they see more frequently is the effects of an unsafe work environment years later. In 2016, 11 people died due to asbestos exposure in the workplace. Federko says this points to greater issues in the workplaces in the province.
“If you look at the ages, they are all over the ages of 70. Where did they work? They worked in the schools, so we know the schools have asbestos.”
On the other end of the spectrum is the younger workers, Federko says that the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour has a ready to work program, teaching kids about their rights in the workplace. They believe kids are being put into dangerous situations because they don’t know their rights, and want to change that.
“It’s alright to say no to say things that are dangerous... We see that kids as young as 14 or 15 in the workplace.”
This year, they advocated for the stricter enforcement of the Westray Law. The law, created in response to the Westray Mining Disaster in Pictou Country, Nova Scotia, lead to Criminal Code provisions that made it possible to prosecute corporate criminal negligence. The Yorkton Labour Council wants to see greater enforcement as well as dedicated prosecutors to deal with Westray law cases.
“I often wonder why they don’t [enforce], they have to see it. Occupational health and safety, they didn’t replace some of the officers, and we need them, there’s no doubt we need them.”
The hope is that one year a vigil will not be necessary.