Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath's Statement on the Day of Mourning

New Democrats join with workers across Ontario to mark this Day of Mourning. We stand with friends and family to remember those who have been injured, maimed or killed on the job.

We all have a responsibility to make sure that when the workday ends, every worker makes it home safely. In Ontario, last year, 349 people were killed on the job, thousands were injured and countless more dealt with complications due to work-related environmental illness. We must honour our obligations to these workers.

Every injury and every death in the workplace is one too many, but every year we see these tragic events on the construction site, on the factory floor, in the field and under the ground. Families in the North, across the industrial heartland, in rural areas and in our cities are left to pick up the pieces when their loved ones are suddenly taken from them on the job.

Every Ontarian has the right to safely earn a living. Every worker is entitled to the same protection, but the explosion of part-time and precarious work under this Liberal government leaves far too many workers vulnerable to greater risks, and gives them fewer protections to speak up about work place safety for fear of losing their jobs. Every working person in Ontario and their families deserve the right to peace of mind.

New Democrats are committed to strong safety regulations and enforcement. We’re committed to with employers, unions, safety specialists and with the WSIB to make Ontario’s workplace safer for every Ontarian.

We can’t stop until workplace accidents stop. Until then, we will mourn for the dead and fight for the living.