International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
7418 6th
Street, Burnaby, B.C. V3N 3L6 Tel: (604) 522-3991 Fax:(604) 522-7844
May 28, International Day of Mourning
Last year 188 workers died on the job in British Columbia, that's one
person every second day. 11 of those workers were under the age of 25,
citing the lack of health and safety training to new workers due to the
massive budget cuts of the provincial government.
IAM Machinists helped carry the 188 coffins representing one for each
fallen worker. The march traveled through the main core of Downtown
Vancouver and ended at the office of Premier Gordon Campbell.
Guest speakers included BC Federation of Labour Jim Sinclair and the
family of Grant DePatie a young gas attendant who was hit and dragged by
a vehicle while attempting to prevent the theft of gas from a service
station. The horrifying part of this story is that 11 months later the
owner of the gas station has refused to comply with WCB regulations
making sure customers pay before they pump after 11 pm. Due to the
watering down of the enforcement of regulations more workers could face
the same fate if there is no consequence to ignoring the safety code.
Labour is fighting to have pay before you pump made law so that every
gas station must comply.
