Today is the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured on the job. The National Day of Mourning was first declared in 1984 by the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). The date, April 28, was picked because it was this day in 1914 that the Workers' Compensation Act received its third reading. In December 1990, the Workers Mourning Day Act was passed, officially recognizing April 28 as a day of national observance.

When the CLC initiated the National Day of Mourning, it was hoped that by bringing national attention to the carnage in our workplaces, governments and employers would take action to put an end to the outrageous number of deaths and workplace injuries. Unfortunately, over the last 26 years, this hasn't been the case. According to statistics, since 1984, more than 25,000 Canadian workers have died due to work-related causes; and close to 25 million workers have been injured.

Strong provisions in laws, collective agreements, or workplace policies are only as effective as the commitment of those who are tasked to enforce or comply with them. Injuries and deaths in the workplace are preventable. Workplace parties must commit to a culture of "safety first." Safety FIRST - not if it's affordable, not if it's convenient, not if it doesn't interfere with production, but ALWAYS!

Last year at the Day of Mourning ceremony, I read the following poem written by an anonymous author. Many of the people in attendance requested a copy of it, so I am including it here in case I missed anyone.

I Chose To Look The Other Way

I could have saved a life that day,
But I chose to look the other way.
It wasn't that I didn't care,
I had the time, and I was there.
But I didn't want to seem the fool,
Or argue over a safety rule.
I knew he had done the job before,
If I called it wrong, he might get sore.
The chances didn't seem that bad,
I've done the same, he knew I had.
So I shook my head and walked on by,
He knew the risks as well as I.
He took that chance, I closed an eye,
And with that act, I let him die.
I could have saved a life that day,
But I chose to look the other way.
Now every time I see his wife,
I'll know I should have saved his life.
That guilt is something I must bear,
But it isn't something you need to share.
If you see a risk that others take,
That puts their health or life at stake.
The questions asked, or things you say,
Could help them live another day.
If you see a risk and walk away,
Then hope you never have to say,
I could have saved a life that day
But I chose to look the other way.

Please join us at the legislative assembly at noon today to recognize the three workers who lost their lives last year in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut; and to remember the countless workers who have been killed, injured, or become ill as a result of their workplaces over the years.

• Mary Lou Cherwaty is president of the Northern Territories Federation of Labour