News Items:
<NEW> (posted June 9, 2008) Reality Check: Liberals Suddenly Concerned About Gender Equality
<NEW> (posted June 9, 2008) Reality Check: Liberals Suddenly Care About Auto Industry
<NEW> (posted May 29, 2008) First Nation's National Day of Action
<NEW> (posted May 17, 2008) Boshcoff Embarrasses Northerners
<NEW> (posted May 17, 2008) The Seniors Charter of Canada
<NEW> (posted May 12, 2008) C-J Letter to Editor Response
<NEW> (posted May 12, 2008) Day of Mourning Statement
<NEW> (posted May 12, 2008) Harper's Corporate Handouts
<NEW> (posted May 12, 2008) The Four Agreements are..
News from the desk of John Rafferty:
Day of Mourning Statement
April 28, 2008
On this day we honour and remember those who have died, been injured or become ill as a result of their job. We remember those whose lives have been forever changed, just by the simple act of going to work to provide for their families.
It is also a day to remember the living and commit to keeping workers safe; to commit to making workplace health and safety a personal priority and to take action to prevent future tragedies.
Every day, three Canadians die for their jobs. Another one million are injured every year – that’s one injury every seven seconds of every working day. These statistics are devastating. No one should have to die to put food on their table, to provide for their families.
The numbers for young people are even more staggering – one in seven young workers is injured on the job. These young people are our sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. We must do better. We must demand better.
Too many working Canadians are losing their lives because workplace safety is thrown out the window or down the shaft or derailed in the interest of the bottom line. Corporate responsibility is key to improving safety for working Canadians. Governments also have a role to play in forcing employers to follow safe work practices by legislating and enforcing strict rules for workplace safety.
Let us honour our fallen workers by pledging that we will do what we can to prevent future workplace tragedies, and calling on corporations and the government to do the same.