CANADIAN LABOUR - TORONTO:

CITY OF TORONTO GARBAGE TRUCK ACCIDENT KILLS ONE:

We are fast coming up to April 28, the National day of Mourning for Workers Killed and Injured On the Job. Molly has blogged extensively about this day before, and I hope this year will be no exception. As something of a preliminary here's a report from Inside Toronto about a work related accident that killed one worker and seriously injured another just yesterday. One more reminder of just how serious the toll of workplace workplace deaths is. Try to remember the photo above the next time you hear someone griping about how "easy" city workers have it.

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City worker dead, another recovering after accident
A city worker is dead and another is recovering after a garbage truck flipped over Friday.

The single-vehicle collision occurred on the ramp from eastbound Bloor Street to the northbound Don Valley Parkway around 5:25 a.m.

“The driver failed to negotiate the last curve to the right, losing control of the vehicle.” Const. Hugh Smith said. “It went off the road, rolled through the guardrail, struck a tree and then ended up rolled onto its side.”

The 34-year-old driver was trapped in the vehicle for more than an hour. He was pronounced dead shortly after being freed. The passenger, a 48-year-old man, was ejected from the truck and was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The ramp was closed for the remainder of the morning as police investigated.

Toronto Mayor David Miller and City Manager Joe Pannachetti expressed their condolences to the family of the man who died.

"On behalf of all Torontonians and all members of the Toronto Public Service we express our deepest sympathies to the family, friends and co-workers of the employee that passed away," they said in a statement.

"We also want to send our sincere wishes for a full recovery to the employee who was injured."

CANADIAN LABOUR:

NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY ACTIVIST AWARD:

April 28, Workers Memorial Day, a day devoted to the memory of workers killed and injured on the job, is coming up soon. Please see the post 'Workers' Memorial Day' on April 28 2007 here at Molly's Blog for further details and references. Just to set the tone, the ILO estimates that two million people die each year of work-related accidents and diseases, and that there are 270 million work related accidents each year in the world. This carnage surpasses the death toll from war in most years.

This year the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has opened nominations for the recognition of individuals who are trying to reduce this toll. They hope to honour such activists. here is their press release....

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National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job -- Health and Safety Activist Recognition
Monday, April 28th, 2008 is the National Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job. This is a time to mourn for those lost on the job, as we work to strengthen safety standards and reduce the health and safety risks that workers take each day.

This April we will take time to applaud the remarkable gains that have been made in the protection of workers' health, safety, and environment. Health & safety activists work the front-line in the battle to establish standards and compliance with legislation.

Over the history of the health and safety movement there have been difficult fights against employers and a culture that too often accepts workplace risk. Worker safety has not always been a top concern.

We appreciate the battles fought and the sacrifices made by health and safety activists for the benefit of us all. This year we would like to pay special tribute to these labour activists.
Nominate a Health and Safety Activist
If you know a person in your union who has made a special contribution in health and safety nominate them for National Union recognition!

All nominees will be featured on a special National Union web page. Nominees will be contacted to confirm their acceptance of the nomination and the publishing of their information on the web site.
Receive a free copy of Tony Mazzocchi's biography
If you nominate someone we'll send you and your nominee a copy of Les Leopold’s new biography, “The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor: The Life and Times of Tony Mazzocchi”. Tony Mazzocchi was a legendary union leader who saw the need for a massive movement that would popularize workplace health and safety issues. This new release is a must read for every trade union activist.