Oct 10 2007
Dear editor,
Your article, Union rallies to show solidarity, was very good.
Safety in the woods has always been abysmal, but nothing like it has been in the last few years.
There have been too many deaths, but there have also been even more maimings.
WCB rules have been relaxed in the last half-dozen years, and there are fewer inspectors.
The onus for safety now weighs heaviest on the employee, yet all the power is in the hands of the employer.
It’s hard to say no to unsafe work when you badly need a job.
Once you’re hurt, it’s hard to collect any compensation without a union behind you.
WCB offers little or no retraining nowadays. Even light duty is, in reality, a thing of the past.
Fortunately, the Steelworkers are courageously saying no, before another worker dies or becomes disabled and indigent.
Susanne Shaw
Port Alice