Statement from Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress
Today, families in Tumbler Ridge and across British-Columbia are going through something no one should ever have to experience.
Every student has a right to feel safe in their school. Every worker in a school has a right to be safe. Every family should be confident that when they say goodbye in the morning, their loved ones will come home at the end of the day.
Schools are places of learning, of care, of community. They are also workplaces. And no teacher, no education assistant, no custodian, no bus driver, no support staff, no worker should ever have to face violence as part of their job.
On behalf on Canada’s unions, I want to give heartfelt thanks to every emergency medical technician (EMT), education worker, nurse, doctor, health care worker, police officer and community member who responded with courage and compassion to support families facing this unimaginable act of violence.
As Canadians, we will be unpacking what happened and how we prevent this kind of violence. But we must be clear: safety in our schools cannot be an afterthought. It requires real investment, prevention, mental health supports, and strong public services.
We are union members who fight every day for safe work and safe workplaces. We are community members who feel this loss deeply.
And Canada’s unions will be loud voices in the work ahead demanding the protections, resources, and policies needed to keep our communities and workplaces safe.
No family should ever have to endure this. And we will not stop fighting for a country where they don’t have to.
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