Family of man killed on the job in Windsor, Ont., reminded of workplace safety 'every day'

The family of a man who died while on the job in Windsor, Ont., is fighting to keep his memory alive, and the dangers surrounding his death.

Claudio Cardoso, 36, was crushed by a steel rack that hadn't been properly secured on a forklift in January 2009.

His wife Veronica, and their two teenage sons, spoke during a Sunday ceremony to mark the National Day of Mourning for workers killed or injured at work.

"Now they are also in the workforce," she said of her sons, who were both young children at the time of his death.

"They know the importance of being safe. I tell them every day: Don't do anything that you don't want to do."

Cardoso said she still thinks about the fact that the main consequence of her husband's death to his employer was a monetary penalty.

"You know, I struggle with this every day. They got a fine. I mean, any company can pay a fine. It's our lives — families' lives — that are destroyed. And they got just a fine."

A worker's right to safety — and the right to refuse work that's not safe — can never be over-emphasized, says the Windsor and District Labour Council.

As in previous years, the council held the event at the workers' memorial on Windsor's riverfront at Coventry Gardens.

A ceremonial wreath was laid at the monument, a short procession was held, and carnations were thrown into the river in a symbolic gesture of recognition.

"It's an important day to remember those that have lost their lives at work — or have been seriously injured, where their lives have changed," said Antonella Ciampa, chair of the WDLC's organizing committee for the event.

"People have a right to go to work and come home. They do have a right to refuse unsafe work... You can't equate life to a monetary value."

The Canadian Labour Congress first declared April 28th to be the national Day of Mourning in 1984.

Despite the decades that have passed since then, Ciampa said there still needs to be pressure on all levels of government to prioritize every aspect of worker safety — from establishing best practices for reduction of physical risks, to dealing with workplace violence.