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.

News

Image for <strong>United Steelworkers union calls for answers on deadly Kelowna crane collapse</strong> 

United Steelworkers union calls for answers on deadly Kelowna crane collapse 

May 24, 2023 | Media Releases

The United Steelworkers union (USW) is adding its support to calls for answers into the tragic crane collapse that killed five people in Kelowna, B.C., in July 2021. Kelowna RCMP and WorkSafeBC released a joint statement on Tuesday, May 16, following a 22-month investigation, but decided they would not release the WorkSafeBC investigation report publicly. […]

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Click to read the article about United Steelworkers union calls for answers on deadly Kelowna crane collapse 
Toronto Star Work and Wealth investigative reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh addressing 2023 USW National Policy Convention

Worker safety and inequality  

April 27, 2023 | News Articles

Known as “the health and safety union,” the United Steelworkers welcomed Toronto Star Work and Wealth investigative reporter Sara Mojtehedzadeh to the National Policy Conference. Mojtehedzadeh showed why she has become known for ground-breaking reporting on the dangerous realities of precarious work, unsafe workplace conditions, and worker safety, as she told delegates about going under […]

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Click to read the article about Worker safety and inequality  
Image for Third letter to Minister McNaughton and Premier Doug Ford re three fatalites at National Steel Car in Hamilton

Third letter to Minister McNaughton and Premier Doug Ford re three fatalites at National Steel Car in Hamilton

August 19, 2022 | News Articles

August 18, 2022 The Honourable Premier of Ontario Doug Ford Premier of Ontario Legislative Building Queen’s Park Toronto ON M7A 1A1 Via email: premier@ontario.ca The Honourable Monte McNaughton, MPP Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development 14th Floor, 400 University Ave. Toronto, ON M7A 1T7 Via email: monte.mcnaughtonco@pc.ola.org Minister.MLTSD@ontario.ca URGENT – Meeting request: three fatalities at National […]

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Click to read the article about Third letter to Minister McNaughton and Premier Doug Ford re three fatalites at National Steel Car in Hamilton

Resources

Image: Dark blue flyer with toddler in a USW hat and scarf holding a Stop the Killing placard

Stop the Killing flyer

Misc. Resources
June 7, 2024
Click to view Stop the Killing flyer

Westray Act: What politicians are saying

Misc. Resources
June 4, 2024
Click to view Westray Act: What politicians are saying

Corporate Criminal Liability: 2004-2024

Research & Publications
May 24, 2024
Click to view Corporate Criminal Liability: 2004-2024

Hell’s History by Tom Sandborn

Research & Publications
September 19, 2016
Click to view Hell’s History by Tom Sandborn

Corporate Criminal Liability: 2004-2024

A review of legal cases since the enactment of the Westray amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada.

Read the legal brief

Westray Act: What politicians are saying

Quotes from current and former politicians about the Westray Act.

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Put your community on the map

Lobby your local town or city to endorse the campaign. If your town or city has not endorsed, we want to help you make that happen. Contact us if you are interested and we can help you approach your city hall with a resolution to support. It is easier than it sounds. Every town that a volunteer has approached with the campaign has endorsed. No one wants to see people killed on the job in their community.

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Westray 30: 1992-2022

May 9, 2022, marked 30 years since the Westray disaster and the USW, along with family members, elected officials and other unions gathered to commemorate the tragedy and continue the campaign to enforce the law.

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Map of endorsements

Over 50 cities and towns across Canada are endorsed the Stop the Killing campaign: including Plymouth, Nova Soctia to Edmonton, Alberta to Burns Lake British Colombia to Toronto, Ontario. Our campaign is creating concensus at the local level to pressure governments, labour officials and law enforcement to investigate workplace deaths and injuries to press charges if there is evidence of criminal negligence.

View map in fullscreen

Endorse the campaign

Read the resolution city councils are passing to enforce the Westray Amendments to the Criminal Code of Canada.

Municipal resolution to endorse

Videos and social media images

Watch videos from the USW's Stop the Killing campaign. Download social media shareables.

Videos and social media

Letters of support

Read copies of the endorsements from municipalities across Canada, to Stop the Killing and Enforce the Law.

View the letters

Hell's History

Hell's History, by former The Tyee journalist, Tom Sandborn, is an in-depth publication on the USW’s fight to prevent workplace deaths and injuries from the 1992 Westray mine disaster through 2016.

Read Hell's History

News clips

A collection of news clippings related to the USW's Stop the Killing, Enforce the Law campaign.

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News clips continued

More news clippings related to the USW's Stop the Killing, Enforce the Law campaign.

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