Union for Manitoba Hydro electrical workers mourns member’s death, raises safety concerns

Posted on August 9, 2024 by Peggy

The union representing electrical workers at Manitoba Hydro is mourning the loss of one of its members while also raising concerns about working conditions.

“I worked with him for about a year early on in my career and I had many many interactions with him,” said Michael Espenell, the business manager for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034 on Friday. “He was a beauty.”

Manitoba Hydro said in a news release Thursday one of its employees died after performing work related to a power outage in the Interlake region.

Espenell said the man, who isn’t being identified at this time out of respect for their privacy, was working alone when he died while responding to the call.

The Crown corporation confirmed the man was working alone in a statement to CBC News on Friday and said the practice is “common as an initial response across our system.”

A person standing near a camera — Mike Espenell of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2034 said members working alone has long been a concern for the union. (Jaison Empson/CBC)

But Espenell said its members working alone has been a longtime concern for the union.

“We’ve raised it as a concern for quite some period of time that the best working-alone plan is to not work alone,” said Espenell.

Troy Craig, a business representative with IBEW 2034, said its members are devastated. Craig said it’s a “small community” of Hydro workers and many of them would’ve known the man who died.

The person who responded to the call was a senior Hydro member who “knew his job well,” Craig said.

Craig also said while there is a working alone protocol, the union has raised questions about if responding to calls individually is “the best practice.”

“If that is a factor here, we’ll be looking to the corporation to see what can be done to make some changes,” he said.

A man stands for a photo. — IBEW 2034 business representative Troy Craig said Manitoba Hydro workers are a tight-knit community. (CBC)

Manitoba Hydro said Friday in its statement that “it’s too early to speculate on any specific cause.”

An investigation into the death is underway, Hydro said, and the corporation is “co-operating with the other appropriate authorities who are investigating, including Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health.”

Espenell also said the union will be involved in any investigation the man’s death and will be there to support his family

“We’ll see what the investigation unveils,” he said. “It’s just very tragic to think … what those last moments or last thoughts would’ve been for him. I know some of the members in that area were very close to him.”