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AUPE News & Updates
For immediate release: Tuesday, April 27, 2004
WHO: Alberta Union of Provincial Employees
WHAT: Ceremony marking International Day of Mourning
WHERE: AUPE headquarters, 10451 – 170 Street NW, Edmonton
WHEN: 11 a.m., Wednesday, April 28, 2004
WHY: To remember AUPE member who died in December and other workers
killed or injured on the job
AUPE to honour memory of ATB Financial employee killed on job in December
as part of International Day of Mourning ceremonies
EDMONTON — The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees will hold
an International Day of Mourning ceremony on Wednesday, April 28, to
pay tribute to workers like Sylvia Vega, the Calgary ATB Financial teller
who died last December when a truck crashed through the bank’s
wall.
AUPE Local 020/008 Chair Linda Kneeshaw and Local Secretary Cindy McFeete
will be in Edmonton to pay tribute to their ATB Financial colleague.
The 11 a.m. ceremony will commence with AUPE Vice-President and Health
and Safety Committee Chairman Garnett Robinson leading members in a
moment of silence, followed by a reading and an outline of the union
Occupational Health and Safety Committee’s plans for the upcoming
year.
“I want people around the province to recognize the goal has to
always be total elimination of workplace injury and death,” said
AUPE President Dan MacLennan.
“The record over the last few years shows more dangerous situations
are occurring in the workplace, and a higher rate of incidents are occurring
in non-unionized workplaces.”
MacLennan added that employers found in contravention of life-saving
Health and Safety regulations should be incarcerated, as well as receiving
the largest financial penalties possible.
“That’s the only way things are going to change.”
In 2003, Alberta had close to 150,000 work-related injuries. Of those
injured, 127 workers died.
In 1996, the UN established the International Day of Mourning, partially
as a result of a formal request initiated by AUPE and Alberta Federation
of Labour officials.
Wednesday’s ceremony is open to the media, and will take place
at AUPE headquarters in Edmonton, 10451 - 170 St. NW. Linda Kneeshaw
and Garnett Robinson will be available for interviews following the
ceremony.
For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-232-8392 (cellular
phone)
Garnett Robinson, Vice-President, AUPE 780-404-9167 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or
780-717-2943 (cellular phone)
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