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To: All Members of Local 867
From: Alex Forrest, President
Re: Press Conference at the Legislative Grounds
A press conference was held on the grounds of the Legislative Building on Wednesday August 4, 2004 at which it was announced that The Honourable Gary Doer, Premier of Manitoba, is to be one of the main speakers at the I.A.F.F. Conference to be held in Boston later this month.
Premier Doer is the first Canadian Politician to speak at an I.A.F.F. convention, which will be attended by three thousand delegates representing 280,000 Fire Fighters from across North America. It will be the largest gathering of Fire Fighters in the World.
Manitoba was the first Province in Canada to provide WCB coverage for Fire Fighters with brain, bladder and kidney cancer, leukemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. We will keep the membership posted on our continuing efforts to expand WCB coverage to heart disease and lung and colon cancer.
We would like to thank the Administration of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service for their support at the above-mentioned press conference.
The following are details and pictures of the press conference.
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PREMIER GARY DOER TO ADDRESS
INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTER CONVENTION
Premier Gary Doer will become the first Canadian politician in ten years to address the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) convention, to be held in Boston, Mass., during the week of Aug. 15.
“Our firefighters represent a unique group of highly dedicated men and women who routinely place the safety and needs of others before their own,” said Doer. “I am extremely honored to have been given an opportunity to address this year’s firefighter convention.”
Manitoba made amendments to the Workers Compensation Act in 2002 that reflected the findings of medical and scientific studies which illustrate a strong association between the working conditions experienced by full-time firefighters and the occurrence of certain diseases.
These amendments made Manitoba the only Canadian jurisdiction to have a law presuming that certain diseases—primary site brain cancer, bladder or kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or leukemia—are caused by firefighting. Other provincial jurisdictions have since introduced and passed similar legislation.
“We have lost so many of our brother firefighters to cancer due to the nature of our job,” said Alex Forrest, president, United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg. “Over the past two years, Manitoba’s presumptive legislation has made a tremendous difference to many families whose lives have been devastated both emotionally and financially by these horrendous occupational diseases.”
“The Manitoba government is seen as a leader in this field by the IAFF and we are extremely proud to have Premier Doer as a speaker at our biennial convention.”
The upcoming convention is the largest firefighter convention in the world. There will be over two thousand delegates representing over 285,000 firefighters across North America.
There are about 1,000 full-time and 500 retired firefighters in Manitoba
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Manitoba's Presumptive Cancer Legislation
Manitoba’s Cancer Legislation Enacted
May 23, 2002 - A long and hard-fought battle for IAFF members in Manitoba ended in victory today when the province enacted legislation granting presumptive status to five forms of cancer among professional fire fighters. Read more..........
Funeral Held for Manitoba Fire Fighter
March 3, 2003 -- Fire fighters from across Canada were in Winnipeg Feb. 28 to honour the memory and the courage of the fire fighter whose tragic story illustrated the need for presumptive cancer legislation in the province of Manitoba. Read more..........
Manitoba’s Cancer Legislation Enacted; Retroactive to 1992
May 23, 2002 - A long and hard-fought battle for IAFF members in Manitoba ended in victory today when the province enacted legislation granting presumptive status to five forms of cancer among professional fire fighters.
An important late victory was achieved when the legislation, introduced by the Manitoba government May 1, was made retroactive to 1992 after further lobbying efforts by fire fighters. Bill 5 amends the province’s Workers Compensation Act to create automatic compensation guidelines when a Manitoba fire fighter suffers from brain cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, bladder cancer, or kidney cancer after a specified number of years on the job.
“This is not only an important day for fire fighters in Manitoba, but for all of Canada,” said Winnipeg Local 867 President Alex Forrest. “Other provincial governments should soon follow the initiative of the government of Manitoba in legislating cancer presumption for fire fighters.”
Forrest said the fact that the legislation has been made retroactive gives the issue even more momentum across Canada.
Close to a dozen Winnipeg fire fighters have died of cancer in the past decade, including five in just the last four years.
On the day the legislation was introduced, Manitoba’s NDP Premier, Gary Doer, told a radio audience that the issue could not be ignored, and that the legislation would be passed “because it is the right thing to do.” He credited the bill’s success to the efforts of the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg,
When Manitoba Labour Minister Becky Barrett introduced Bill 5 in the Legislative Assembly, every seat in the public gallery was filled with Manitoba fire fighters, including a large contingent of Brandon fire fighters led by Local 803 President Terry Parlow.
The local and national media ran with the story. Forrest and the Local 867 Executive spent the day of the bill’s introduction in front of television cameras and radio microphones explaining the importance of the legislation.
National media continued with in-depth reports about fire fighters and cancer when the legislation was enacted.
Included in the media coverage was the story of Local 867 member Rick Stoyko, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in January. Stoyko brought the media to tears during one press conference with his courageous account of his love for the profession and how he hopes in his next life “to again have the honour of being a fire fighter.” His wife Angel and his children were at his side as he shared his story.
Forrest explained to the national media that 20 U.S. jurisdictions have presumptive cancer legislation for fire fighters, and that Manitoba will be the first Canadian jurisdiction with full presumptive cancer legislation.
In a surprise move, the opposition Conservatives applauded the legislation as it was introduced, and Opposition Leader Stuart Murray delivered a speech in support of Bill 5. Also, the City of Winnipeg has stated that it will not oppose the legislation as it has in the past.
“This success could not have been achieved without the support and solidarity of the Manitoba Professional Fire Fighters Association,” Forrest added.
Manitoba fire fighters are now preparing a package of information about their successful lobby to share with other provincial associations in Canada.
Funeral Held for Manitoba Fire Fighter Whose Battle Illustrated Need for Cancer Legislation.
March 3, 2003 -- Fire fighters from across Canada were in Winnipeg Feb. 28 to honour the memory and the courage of the fire fighter whose tragic story illustrated the need for presumptive cancer legislation in the province of Manitoba.
Capt. Rick Stoyko lost his battle with brain cancer on Saturday, Feb. 22, a little more than a year after he was diagnosed with the disease. Stoyko, who was only 50 years old, was the first Manitoba fire fighter to be covered under the province’s presumptive cancer legislation for career fire fighters.
Manitoba’s groundbreaking presumptive legislation was enacted in May, 2002 after a successful lobbying campaign by the province’s professional fire fighters. The new rules declared that brain cancer, as well as bladder, kidney, non-Hodgkins lymphoma and leukemia, are occupational among professional fire fighters and that workers compensation should be automatic when specified lead times are met.
Alex Forrest, President of Winnipeg IAFF Local 867, said that Stoyko’s courage in facing the disease and the way he shared his story with the media was an inspiration and an important element in the successful battle for presumptive cancer legislation.
“Rick and his tragic experience served to raise awareness of fire fighters and cancer not only in Manitoba, but across Canada,” Forrest said, explaining that Manitoba’s new presumptive cancer legislation is influencing the debate on presumptive cancer legislation for career fire fighters in other provinces. Private members’ bills have recently been introduced in Alberta and Nova Scotia.
National media attended a press conference held on the day of Stoyko's funeral in Winnipeg where IAFF leaders from across Canada demanded presumptive cancer legislation like that which has been enacted in Manitoba.
Forrest explained to the media how fire fighters will not stop until every province in Canada has fair worker's compensation legislation for the cancers that professional fire fighters suffer as a result of their occupation.Stoyko is one of about a dozen Winnipeg fire fighters who have died from cancer in the past decade. Through additional lobbying efforts after the legislation was drafted, Manitoba’s fire fighters were able to have it made retroactive to 1992.
When Manitoba’s presumptive legislation was introduced in May 2002, Stoyko brought the media to tears as he recounted his love for the profession and how he hoped in his next life “to again have the honour of being a fire fighter.”