National Day of Mourning for killed workers held at Confederation Building

It's been six years since Terri Murphy got the call that her son Jonathan Murphy, 24, died while working as a pipefitter in Alberta. 

The accident happened one day after the National Day of Mourning for those killed or injured on the job.

"He attended the Day of Mourning event that day," Murphy said. "On [April 29], the day after the Day of Mourning, he was dead as a result of a workplace accident."

On Monday, Murphy laid a wreath in Jonathan's memory during a ceremony held at the Confederation Building in St. John's to mark the tragic occasion. 

"Jon was working his dream job as a pipefitter," she said. "This was the last day of their work rotation. Jonathan was flying home at 5:30 p.m. with hopes of buying his first home the next day."

Murphy lost her son just hours before he was supposed to fly home. 

"Jonathan was pronounced dead at 3:10 p.m.," she said. "All of our dreams for Jonathan. Gone."

According to WorkplaceNL, 26 people in the province lost their lives while working in 2024 — an increase of 11 people compared to 2023 numbers.

The theme of this year's National Day of Mourning is workers demanding action on invisible injuries and hazards. 

CUPE 1560 president Greg Rockwood said the public must broaden its understanding of what it means to be safe at work.

"Not all dangers and hazards can be seen, and not all wounds leave scars that we can touch," he said. "Mental health challenges. Chronic stress, Toxic workplace cultures and occupational PTSD are just as real and just as life-altering as physical injuries."

Jessica McCormick, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, is calling on the provincial government and WorkplaceNL to make health and safety records more transparent.

"In Newfoundland and Labrador, the health and safety records of employers are kept out of the public eye, unlike in other parts of the country, and this needs to change," McCormick said.

While corporations can be held criminally liable for workplace deaths and injuries, she said, few charges are laid, and when they are, major corporations can easily pay the fines.

"When criminal negligence leads to death, people must be held accountable," she said. 

The federation is also calling for the establishment of an occupational health clinic to help workers manage, prevent, and respond to occupational illnesses. 

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