On April 28 at 11 a.m., the Hamilton and District Labor Council will be replicating its traditional Day of Mourning ceremony from City Hall on Zoom. The HDLC will also continue its practice of having roses available for those individuals who wish to lay one at the monument in memory of a loved one.

On April 28, we will remember those comrades we’ve lost due to workplace injuries and illnesses, not just this past year, but also throughout our personal workplace histories.

We will continue to share music as a tool of contemplation and reflection.

We will hear from some labour leaders about the impact the pandemic has had on their sector and how we can safely transition back to “normal” working conditions.

And we will hear from coalition partners around the city who work with injured workers on a daily basis, even under trying times.

You can register for the event by clicking here. Even though the event will be live at 11 a.m., the YouTube stream will be available after the event is done on our HDLC YouTube Channel.

Mourn for the Dead, Fight like Hell for the Living!

Each year on April 28, the labour movement commemorates a Day of Mourning, in memory of all of those workers who have been killed or injured on the job. This year, the Day of Mourning is particularly somber, as we remember thousands of workers across the country who have died of Covid-19, many of whom contracted the deadly virus in their workplaces. When people don’t have access to paid sick leave, they are far more likely to have to go to work, either because they can’t afford the lost time, or because they can’t risk being disciplined or terminated for missing work. In 2018, workers won a small number of paid sick days for all, but one of the Ford Government’s first acts in power was to take those away. Ontario currently only guarantees workers three days of job-protected leave for personal illness, none of which are paid.

This Wednesday at 10:00am, we are encouraging all of our members to take a ten minute break from their work to take action for paid sick leave for all, including the following:

• Observe a moment of silence;
• Wear black;
• Use this form on the CUPE Ontario website to send a message to Doug Ford and your local MPP;
• Use the Decent Work and Health Network’s form to send a message as well;
• Download the poster and send a picture of yourself with it to 1-866-821-7273. Share it on social media with the hashtags #PaidSickDays and #10for10, and make sure to tag us as well;
• Find more graphics and infographics from #10for10 and the Decent Work and Health Network here, and share them on social media;
• Sign up here to participate in future actions with your co-workers in support of paid sick days for all.