Stop the Killing

No more workplace deaths.

Stop the Killing is a campaign to hold people criminally accountable for the health and safety of workers.

Over 1,000 workers a year are killed on the job.

Despite the power of the Criminal Code of Canada to hold corporations, their directors and executives criminally accountable for the health and safety of workers, as of 2024, there have been only eleven successful prosecutions under the Westray amendments – five in Quebec, four in Ontario, one in British Columbia, and one in New Brunswick. Those prosecutions resulted in the conviction of seven corporations and three individuals. Sentences have been relatively minor.

If people where held criminally accountable for their negligence, it would deter others from callously endangering the lives of workers.

Our campaign has four asks of our provincial/territorial government:

• Crown attorneys are educated, trained and directed to apply the Westray amendments of the Criminal Code of Canada;
• Dedicated prosecutors are given the responsibility for health and safety fatalities;
• Police are educated, trained and directed to apply the Westray amendments;
• There is greater coordination among regulators, police and Crowns so that health and safety regulators are trained to reach out to police when there is a possibility that Westray amendment charges are warranted.

Led by the United Steelworkers, the campaign has support from towns and cities from across the country, law enforcement officials and professional associations.