In Canada, the Westray mine disaster remains a memory of criminal negligence that was not properly punished in the courts.  After 11 people were killed in the disaster and the mine owners were able to tie the cases to demand accountability up in the courts, workers’ advocates pushed the federal government to pass the 2004 Westray Bill.

As we reel from the news about another death related to the Fiera Foods company, which reinforces the danger companies create by not training temporary workers and using them in dangerous jobs, health and safety and corporate responsibility for the safety of all workers engaged in working for them is top of mind.   This is not the time for the Progressive Conservative government of Ontarionto roll back workers protections like Bill 18, which expanded liability for injuries to temp workers to the client companies.   It is time for us to support the union campaign to ‘stop the killing’ and enforce the Westray Act and hold companies accountable for worker safety.