On May 9, 1992, an underground methane explosion killed 26 miners working at the #Westray Coal Mine in Pictou County, NS. Despite overwhelming evidence, all attempts to prosecute the negligent employer failed. The lack of justice deepened the tragedy. #AbLeg #canlab #cdnpoli 
This led the @SteelworkersCA & the Canadian labour movement to advocate for changes in the law. It took 11 years, but the lobbying eventually led to the passage of the Westray Act, which amended the Criminal Code so employers could be held criminally liable for worker deaths.
Here in Alberta, the AFL, our affiliates and our allies successfully lobbied the provincial government and 10 police forces to sign an agreement that they would use the Westray Act more often in cases of employer negligence causing worker deaths. jdsupra.com/legalnews/albe…
The Westray Act came into play a few months ago, when the RCMP agreed to open a criminal investigation into the #COVID19 death of a worker, @ufcw401 member Benito Quesada, at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River, Alberta. cbc.ca/news/canada/ca…
The memory of the Westray miners, and all other workers who die in the job, will continue to motivate and inspire us in the Canadian labour movement as we push for safer workplaces and more accountability from employers. #westray #canlab
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