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Father of killed worker hopes for NDP gov't and Kiewit investigation

The father of a young worker killed in 2009 on a job site controlled by Kiewit, an international giant that has been a large donor to the BC Liberals, has called for an NDP victory tomorrow.

Brian Fitzpatrick believes the Adrian Dix-led New Democrats are more likely than the Liberals to properly investigate the firm and possibly ban it from obtaining any further public contracts, he told the Tyee.

"My son's life has no value under the present system. My life has no meaning unless I can do something about the way he died," he said.

Fitzpatrick says that he hopes Global News.ca stories this weekend about the firm will encourage voters to support the New Democrats in tomorrow's election.

Neither the BC Liberal nor the NDP campaigns replied to requests for comment on this story today.

As noted in yesterday's Global News.ca story, and reported earlier by the Tyee, the U.S.-based construction firm donated nearly $100,000 to the Liberals from 2005 to 2009.

In 2011, WorkSafeBC assessed a quarter million dollar fine against Kiewit for the incident in which the younger Fitzpatrick died, citing an inspector's report that said, "Unsafe workplace conditions, work assignments, and arrangement of work areas as well as inadequate supervision exposed workers to falling materials and did not comply with safety requirements."

Kiewit was able to win a reduction in that record breaking fine -- the ruling that Fitzpatrick hopes to challenge through judicial review.

The 129-year-old construction company's website boasts of having been named by a private consulting company as one of the "Best Workplaces in Canada" in 2012.

Tom Sandborn covers labour and health policy beats for the Tyee. He welcomes your feedback and story tips at [email protected].


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