Winnipeg politicians, union leaders and community members gathered at City Hall on Monday morning to honour workers in an emotional ceremony that focused on workers’ mental health.
Canada’s National Day of Mourning, marked annually on April 28, commemorates workers who have died or suffered injury on the job. United Firefighters of Winnipeg President Nick Kasper addressed the families and friends of the three Winnipeg firefighters who died this year.
“As firefighters, we often describe our bond as a second family, and as your second family, we stand with you today in your grief, in your remembrance, and in your unwavering commitment to making our workplace safer for all,” he said.
Preston Heinbigner, Ronald Murray and Gordon Pottinger’s names will be added to the Manitoba Fallen Workers’ Memorial in Memorial Park. Heinbigner’s death by suicide highlighted the need for more mental health supports for first responders.
“As leaders and elected officials, we must recognize the ever-growing risk that our profession faces, the increasing strain on our department, and the toll that it’s taking on those we’re entrusted to protect,” Kasper said.
“Today, we must recommit to fulfilling our duty to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of those who serve.”
Amalgamated Transit Union Loval 1505 President Chris Scott, who has repeatedly spoken out about the difficult working conditions his members face, said transit staff go to work each day expecting verbal and physical assaults.
“The cost is not just physical. It’s psychological and emotional,” he said, adding 44 of the 134 Transit employees on leave are off due to “psychological injury due to workplace violent incidents.”
According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS), 1,057 workplace deaths were recorded by the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada in 2023. The association also logged 274,022 lost time claims due to work-related injury or disease.
Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino pointed to Bill 29, The Workplace Safety and Health Amendment Act, as an example of the province’s commitment to improving worker safety. The bill requires employers to make sure their workplace is psychologically safe.
“The majority of injury claims now are related to psychological injuries, and the workplaces most affected are in the purview of the province and the city,” she said.
