Workers, Women to Lose Recognition

Objections voiced to proposed flag half mast guidelines.

A committee set up by the federal government has reviewed the policy of when the Canadian flag should be shown at half mast on federal buildings. Among the proposals put forward by the Flag Advisory Committee is that the practice of flying the flag at half mast on April 28, the Day of Mourning for workers killed and injured on the job, and on December 6, the National Day of Remembrance be eliminated.

Canadian Labour Congress President Ken Georgetti has written to Jason Kenny, the Secretary of State of Multiculturalism and Canadian Identity, to express his "deep concern" regarding those proposals.

In his letter Georgetti points out that "In 1991 Acts of Parliament recognized both April 28 and December 6 as national days of mourning and remembrance. April 28 is a day in which we pause to remember the close to 1,000 Canadians who die each year from workplace accidents or occupational disease - a terrible record that places Canada with one of the worst records for workplace accidents of all the OCED countries. December 6, marking the senseless murder of 14 young women in 1989 because they were women is a significant day of action to bring awareness to a serious social issue that we all must work to eradicate."

MFL President Darlene Dziewit says that "The MFL joins with the CLC in it's call for the Secretary of State to ignore the recommendation from the Flag Advisory Committee. Obviously, the members of that committee have made an error in judgement. Both April 28 and December 6 have been recognized by acts of Parliament as days of remembrance and action. Surely, one of the most highly visible ways to do this is by lowering the flags on government buildings to half mast. It would be disrespectful to the memories of workers killed on the job, and to victims of violence against women, as well as their families, to reverse the current practice.

"There were 40 names on the list of workplace death victims in Manitoba in 2007. That is 40 too many. It would be disrespectful and horribly ironic if the Federal government were to ignore this tragedy by not continuing to lower flags on Federal buildings to half mast."

Both the MFL and the CLC are urging Secretary of State Kenny to ignore the recommendations of the Flag Advisory Committee and to continue to give proper recognition to women and workers on the nationally recognized days of remembrance in their honour.