Today is the national day of mourning, a time to remember those who have been lost in workplace accidents across the country.

In 2017, there were 951 work-related deaths in Canada. Of those, 23 deaths were young workers between the ages of 15 and 24.

Sherry Hillier is the president of CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador, she says workers need to know their rights. She says at the last CUPE convention, they adopted the four “rights to know” as a policy. The four rights are the right to know, the right to participate, the right to refuse, and the right to no retaliation from the employer.

Hillier says workers should never be afraid to use their rights. As an example, she points to her time as a licensed practical nurse where she was an advocate for the use of mechanical lifts in the workplace.

A wreath-laying ceremony is set to take place today at noon at Confederation Building.