The Manitoba Labour movement mourns the death of a CUPE health care worker from Victoria General Hospital who lost their life from COVID-19. We are saddened by this loss and hope the family, coworkers and friends of our fallen worker can provide each other comfort and support.

Every worker who goes into work deserves to go home safe and healthy at the end of every shift. Now, more than ever, we are relying on essential service workers to be there for us. We hear daily from workers who fear they aren’t being supplied with the appropriate personal protective equipment, how there are not enough staff to provide the care they need and want to, and how our health system is struggling to keep up with increased demands.

Manitobans deserve better. Workers deserve the right personal protective equipment to be safe at work, and that means having the best protective equipment available. We believe workers need to be informed and have an equal say in establishing the right PPE, and that they should not be provided with any less due to costs or other criteria. 

Today is a day filled with sorrow, let us ensure we do not continue to suffer losses tomorrow.

In Solidarity,

Kevin Rebeck

President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour