Sunday was the annual Day of Mourning and the North Bay and District Labour Council is calling on all governments to enforce occupational health and safety laws.

An event took place at 10:45 am outside North Bay City Hall.

Labour Council President Henri Giroux says they’re calling for governments and employers to invest in prevention, including strong health and safety committees.

They also want to see enforcement and repercussions for those that don’t ensure a safe workplace.

“Now is not the time to cut corners, like what Doug Ford is allowing in Ontario,” added Giroux.

“You can’t pull millions in Ministry of Labour funding and expect things to improve, we need quality training, better health and safety programs, and dedicated inspection professionals,” said Giroux. “This year we’re delighted to have Martha Hradowy as our official guest speaker.”

Martha is an Executive Officer with the Ontario Secondary Schools Teachers’ Federation.

Officials say before joining the executive team with OSSTF/FEESO, she worked as a Developmental Services Worker in Ontario’s publicly funded education system in the Windsor region.

They say she understands the healthy and safety needs of classrooms in Ontario and is also keenly aware of the healthy and safety regulations in Ontario and works tirelessly lobbying the provincial government about the growing necessity for increased training and staff specialization to address school-based violence.

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