Members of CUPE (Canadian Union of Public Employees) Local 798 have organized a ceremony to mark the national Day of Mourning. The gathering starts at 10:45 am on Sunday, April 28, at the Workers’ Memorial, Cranberry Cemetery.
The day honours workers who have been killed, hurt, disabled or made unwell on the job as well as those who have lost their lives as a result of occupational disease.
In 2012, 149 workers in BC lost their lives, up by nine people from 2011. Of the 149 accepted claims, 86 were a result of occupational disease, mainly due to asbestos exposure. Four of the fatalities were young workers under the age of 24.
