VANCOUVER – CUPE 1004 and the entire CUPE family are mourning the death of Moreno Cerra, a 49 year-old seventeen year employee with the City of Vancouver Engineering Streets Branch, who died while on the job.
CUPE 1004 and the entire CUPE family express our deepest condolences to Mo’s family, friends and co-workers—particularly the crew members who were with him when this tragedy unfolded.
It is devastating when a workplace accident results in any of our brothers or sisters not coming home safely after their shift, and for most of us it is beyond contemplation that a family member would not return home at the end of the day. For a member of our union family, that unthinkable circumstance became reality this weekend when a workplace accident claimed the life of Mo Cerra from Streets Branch at the City of Vancouver.
The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 28) while our members were working in the area of Boundary Road and Second Avenue. Upon hearing of the accident, I went straight to National Yard where I met with the crew as they were arriving on site. I spent two hours with them getting an understanding of what had happened and offering support from the Local. Subsequently, I have been meeting with members and supporting them as they deal with this devastating loss, offering the full support of our union.
Mo was a long-serving member and was a very well-loved individual, the kind of person who always had a smile on his face and was always going out of his way to brighten the lives of those he worked with. I have been in touch with the family to offer condolences and support on behalf of the entire membership of our union.
Several investigations will look into the circumstances surrounding this accident in the coming weeks, including those by the RCMP, Coroner’s Office, WorkSafeBC, the City of Vancouver and Local 1004. We are offering our support to these investigations and are encouraging that those with knowledge of the details keep those confidential to the investigatory process until a final outcome is reached and report is published. The City of Vancouver, as an interim measure and pending any further recommendations arising from the investigations, has already instituted new workplace rules to address preliminary observations from the accident.
In the coming days we will work with the City of Vancouver and the various support agencies and services to ensure that Mo’s co-workers and family receive the care they need in the wake of this tragedy. It is important that we are all here for each other as we mourn our fallen co-worker so please reach out to me if you have any questions, need support or have concerns.
Andrew Ledger
President, CUPE Local 1004