The environment is different but the cause is the same, as it is every April 28.
On that date, workers in over a hundred countries around the world pause to remember friends and loved ones who got up and went to work one day, and didn't come home.
In a tradition that began in Canada, the International Day of Mourning remembers those who lost their lives while on the job, or as a result of their job. This year, the Windsor-Essex observance goes virtual on Wednesday with the Windsor and District Labour Council (WDLC).
Mike Jee, chairman of the Day of Mourning, told BlackburnNewsWindsor.com that the only thing missing from this year's observance is the personal attention given to the loved ones of people who have died on the job.
"It's a little bit more difficult for the consoling and the comforting," said Jee. "As far as reach, we would average about 200 participants a year at St. Augustine's Church. We are now at about one to two thousand viewers online."
COVID-19 has changed the way workplace safety is being accomplished, and there is the debate going on at Queens Park over paid sick days for those affected by the virus, which has been linked to thousands of workplace illnesses and deaths.
"So far, it looks like over 20,000 approved cases through WSIB of COVID-19, that are work-related," said Jee. "I think it's an indication that we have a serious ongoing problem."
According to the Workers Health and Safety Centre, just 46 claims through WSIB were recognized for COVID-19 related deaths tied to the job. In 2019, the most recent year records were available, 2,870 people in Ontario died from all work hazards, and another 40,000 were injured.
Virtual observances are scheduled to take place across Canada and around the world to mourn those who died on the job. The WDLC observance will be available Wednesday on its Facebook page and on its official website.
