Labour minister surprises
Kevin Flynn appears discreetly at public meeting for GE workers exposed to toxins in the workplace
The provincial labour minister made a surprise appearance in Peterborough this week at a gathering for former General Electric employees concerned about their exposure to toxins in the workplace.
Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, the MPP for Oakville, arrived unannounced at the gathering at the Naval Club on Tuesday, shortly before 8 p.m.
He told no one he was coming: even his own ministry staff was caught by surprise when he arrived.
People took photos of Flynn at the gathering and yet no photos or mention of the visit appeared on social media for more than 24 hours.
On Thursday, Flynn wasn’t available for comment.
But spokesman Michael Speers said the minister was discreet about his visit because he didn’t want to detract from the purpose of the gathering – which was helping former GE employees.
“He’s been very cognizant of the need to keep the focus on people who need help,” Speers said.
Organizers said roughly 200 former employees attended the gathering over three days.
Of those, about 14 people started the process of filing their first claim with Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
That was the idea of the gathering: people were there to find out how to begin filing a claim with WSIB related to hazardous material at the plant.
Many former GE workers have developed cancer over the years, and many say it’s because of longterm exposure to carcinogens such as asbestos and benzene.
Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister and Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal also attended the gathering. He spent two hours there Wednesday night, a day after Flynn.
Leal’s father worked at GE for more than 40 years. The event was well organized, he said.
“I think it was a great example of community engagement on a very important file to many people in Peterborough,” he said.
“This is about justice – and about bringing closure to as many of these files as possible.”
Roger Fowler worked GE for 22 years before he retired in 2011.
Fowler, 70, said he was still working when he was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. He’s been declared cancer-free, he says, but he’s needed multiple surgeries over the years. He last went under the knife in November, and is still recovering.
Fowler belongs to a local volunteer group – the Occupational and Environmental Health Coalition of Peterborough – that is conducting research to substantiate concerns about toxins at the plant.
The coalition includes professional researchers who are creating a map of the plant that shows which carcinogenic chemicals were used where.
Fowler said he has filed WSIB claims twice; neither claim was accepted.
Many people have had their WSIB claims turned down, he said, mostly because of data supplied by GE that shows workers weren’t exposed to toxins to the degree that they claim.
Fowler says he was exposed to lots of asbestos, and he sees a link with his illness.
Never mind that his claims to WSIB have been denied twice – he’s prepared to try again.
“We can’t give up,” he said. “We just can’t quit.”