January 8, 2010

VINCE VERSACE

Mourners held a vigil Thursday evening just below the Kipling Avenue building where the five workers fell.

'Construction companies need to realize that worker safety comes first,' widow says at vigil

Community members, labour leaders gather at site of swing-stage tragedy to remember four deceased workers

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

Candlelight reflected off black hard hats worn in remembrance of the four construction workers killed in the Toronto Christmas Eve swing stage tragedy during a vigil Thursday night at the accident site.

"I think all guys that work in construction need to first think about their safety; if they feel safe, then their families feel safe," said Oksana Afanasenko, wife of deceased worker Aleksey Blumberg, in a statement read by a vigil organizer.

"He didn’t tell me about his job because he knew I’d worry about him. I think all bosses and all construction companies need to realize that worker safety comes first."

Construction workers, community members and various labour and immigration leaders and activists huddled together in the bitter cold evening of Thursday, Jan. 7, at 2757 Kipling Ave., to remember the four workers killed and one survivor of the Christmas Eve afternoon swing stage accident.

Blumberg, Fayzullo Fazilov, Alexander Bondorev and Vladimir Korostin all plunged 13 storeys to their deaths on Dec. 24 when their swing stage came apart.

A fifth worker, Dilshod Marupov, of Uzbekistan, remains in critical care in hospital after surviving the fall.

VINCE VERSACE

A mourner at the Thursday evening vigil.

Speakers at the vigil called for increased vigilance at construction sites to ensure safety standards are enforced and for improved worker rights for migrant and undocumented workers so that the deaths of the Christmas Eve victims not be in vain.

Bakhtier Shakhnazarov, a friend of the one deceased, said friends of his overseas have commented that they never thought such a tragedy could happen at a Canadian construction site, since this country is perceived to have safe and high work standards.

"I could say nothing (to that) but did say that people’s nature is the same everywhere, mistakes can happen everywhere," said Shakhnazarov to the crowd.

"It is very sad one of our members of the Uzbek community died here far from his home country ... we now have the Uzbek community trying to collect money to raise to send his body back to Uzbekistan and we do not have enough yet."

Pat Dillon, business manager of the Provincial Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario, was among the construction industry leaders who spoke at the vigil.

Dillon reiterated the building trades' call for an independent investigator to look into the "seedy business practices" in the industry and how they relate to current provincial safety and work legislation.

Dillon also confirmed that the Building Trades and other trade unions have offered financial help to assist Marupov’s family in travelling from Uzbekistan to help in his recovery from the accident.

These trade unions have also offered to help cover the legal expenses of the families of the accident victims so they can get legal advice at no cost. Dillon delivered a strong message for the families of the deceased.

"The deaths of your family members will not go in vain," said Dillon. "We will not stop until we have some resolutions to these kinds of activities in the construction industry and all industries in this province.

"There is nothing more difficult than to be here and talk about something that was totally and 100 per cent preventable."

VINCE VERSACE

A mourner at the Thursday evening vigil.

Barry Stevens of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) said Local 353 of the union will provide whatever support is necessary to improve worker safety.

"It is paramount that we practise our health and safety," Stevens said. "What happened here was tragedy, it was not an accident — it was a tragedy. We have to protect workers and families and keep families together."

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