Day of Mourning
“There is a terrible job in my area that only a few people can do. We are supposed to rotate on that job, but because there are so few people trained the same people get stuck on that job for 8 hours. This job always hurts my shoulder and when I have complained to supervisors they say they will do something but never do. In addition, if you aren’t liked by the scheduling clerk, you will always end up on a bad rotation. I am so frustrated and afraid that I am causing permanent damage to my shoulder while I am still a young person.” - Toyota Assembly Line Worker
Sadly, young workers aged from 15-24 are more likely than any other group to be injured on the job, in fact 1/3 of all injuries occur in this age group, and males are twice as likely to be injured as female workers. The injuries that these workers will suffer may become life long burdens.
Are you or your co-workers experiencing ongoing pain, soreness or fatigue due to certain jobs? Are you or your coworkers required to work on jobs that are overburdened, at unreasonable speeds and/or in awkward postures?
Are you or your co-workers regularly taking any kind of medication (ibuprofen, aspirin, muscle relaxants) due to pain caused by work?
We have heard from many workers who feel that their jobs are overburdened and there is limited time to rest due to long shifts and weekend work. In addition, Toyota’s hiring policies keep workers vulnerable by continually requiring them to serve probation periods or extended contract periods even when the company is short staffed. By doing this, they can ignore best practices in Health, Safety and Ergonomics and simply exit workers who get injured.
On April 28th, is the National Day of Mourning, where Canadian workers pause to commemorate those workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and/or occupational exposures.
This movement was born out of respect for the fallen, while serving as a reminder of the importance of occupational health and safety.
For more information on events happening today go to Workers Health and Safety Centre:
https://www.whsc.on.ca/Events/Day-of-Mourning https://www.whsc.on.ca/Events/Day-of-Mourning
Threads of Life Supports Families that have lost a loved one due to workplace injury or illness
Your Toyota Organizing Team: