Everyone deserves to be safe at work. But the tragic reality is that, sometimes, not everyone makes it home at the end of the work day.
AUPE Local 012 commissioned the Rolyn Sumlak Award in 1990 to commemorate the untimely workplace fatality of Rolyn Sumlak and celebrate AUPE members who work to improve health and safety from the front lines to help prevent workplace tragedies.
Each year, AUPE’s Occupational Health and Safety committee presents the prestigious award to one or more AUPE members in recognition of their dedication to occupational health and safety and in honour of Rolyn and all workers who are injured or killed at work.
“The Rolyn Sumlak award is one of the highest honours we can bestow on an AUPE member for health and safety activism and advocacy,” says Bonnie Gostola, AUPE Vice-President and Chair of the union’s Occupational Health and Safety committee.
“I encourage members to look around your worksite and nominate a coworker whose dedication has made work safer for Albertans. These are difficult times in Alberta and we want to spread awareness of the importance of occupational health and safety.”
Occupational health and safety affects us all, and members recognized by the Rolyn Sumlak award demonstrate the serious nature of safety at work through their actions.
Download the nomination form and nominate the AUPE member you believe exemplifies OH&S activism. You can nominate any AUPE member, and applications should outline the nominee’s contributions to OH&S.
The deadline for nominations is March 1. The successful nominee will receive the award at AUPE’s annual Day of Mourning ceremony in April.