 Mary Long received the award for her outstanding individual contribution to workplace health and safety. President of Local 216, Mary turned a personal tragedy into a mission for health and
safety. In August 1997, Mary’s husband died from injuries he suffered in a nine-metre fall at his workplace. Mary is a certified health and safety representative and is a “safety ambassador” with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. |
 Veronica Taylor of Local 216 accepted the award for outstanding commitment to human rights by an OPSEU Local. Veronica’s Local Executive Committee fought back against harassment and racial
discrimination, resulting in the dismissal of two managers and a commitment from management to develop and enforce an anti-discrimination and harassment policy. |
 Local 468 president Kathy Smith accepted the award for outstanding health and safety work by an OPSEU local from President Casselman and First Vice-President/Treasurer Smokey Thomas. Local 468 represents over 600 Ministry
of Health workers in Kingston. The OHIP headquarters is built near the site of a now-closed coal gasification plant. Cancer and other illnesses are unusually high among workers in the building. Part of Local 468’s fight to have the building tested included a work refusal by over 150 members. The government is slowly agreeing to do appropriate
tests |
 Eight members shared the award for outstanding human rights activism by an individual. The members of the Systemic Change Working Group and Steering Committee have worked to clean up “poisoned” workplaces and root out
harassment and discrimination in correctional services. Standing with President Casselman are (left to right): Brian Chauvin, Local 135; Margaret Smoke, Local 337; Lynn Jackson, Local 234; Elaine Barnes, Local 229; Barry Scanlon, Local 230; Glenna Caldwell, Local 302; and Peter Ietswaard, Local 224. Missing is Henri Dumont, Local 642. |
