Results of probe into Amazon worker’s death to be shared with widow: Ministry

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The Ontario Ministry of Labour said Friday it will share the results of its probe into the death of a worker at a London-area Amazon plant with his widow. 

The ministry has been under pressure from politicians and the Ontario Federation of Labour since The Free Press reported this week that Sheila Albuquerque had been told she must file a freedom-of-information request to get the results of the ministry’s probe into the death of her husband Paulo DeSouza Bezerra. 

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DeSouza Bezerra, 51, collapsed at Amazon’s fulfillment centre in Talbotville, south of London, on Jan. 14, 2024. A company spokesperson said DeSouza Bezerra and other employees were warming up in a break room after a fire alarm forced staff out of the giant facility at about 11:10 p.m. for roughly 17 minutes in -20 C wind chill temperatures.

DeSouza Bezerra was taken to the St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital where staff were not able to resuscitate him. 

The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development completed its investigation into his death in December, but Albuquerque was told by the ministry she had file a freedom-of-information request to access the results because they are only shared with the worker, the company and the union. 

But after being contacted Friday by The Free Press, the ministry sent a statement saying it is making an exception in Albuquerque’s case. 

“The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development is working to provide the spouse with the results of the investigation. We will expedite the process while ensuring sensitive information is handled appropriately according to privacy laws and the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.”

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Albuquerque, who is in Brazil with her two-year-old son, could not be reached for comment Friday. 

Terence Kernaghan, NDP MPP for London North Centre, is calling on the Progressive Conservative government to address the “structural problem” so families aren’t forced to jump through hoops to obtain the results of Ministry of Labour probes into workplace fatalities. 

“I one hundred per cent think that a government that claims to stand for workers would fix this immediately,” he said Friday. “They would also pass legislation to make sure more workers are protected in the workplace.”

Kernaghan said it’s “completely unacceptable” for the provincial government to expect a grieving widow to file a freedom-of-information request and spend money to find the results of an investigation into her husband’s death. 

A freedom-of-information application costs $5 and processing fees may be charged to cover the cost of preparing the information and the format used to convey it.

Laura Walton, president of the Ontario Federation of Labour, an umbrella group that represents unions, said in a recent interview that it’s a “bureaucratic issue” that can be addressed by the Labour Ministry making amendments and including a worker’s next of kin in case of an emergency.

“This is something that could easily be remedied, and I really hope, once the (labour) minister becomes aware of this, he does remedy this very, very quickly.”

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Albuquerque and DeSouza Bezerra, married for more than 24 years, immigrated to Canada from Brazil in 2010. They had their son a couple of years ago after many years of trying to start a family. The couple moved to London from Toronto in the summer of 2023 to find better jobs and housing. DeSouza Bezerra started working at Amazon in October 2023 when the sorting facility opened, three months before his death.

In a statement to The Free Press on Thursday, Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said the company hasn’t received the ministry’s official report, but “co-operated fully with their investigation” and “followed the appropriate procedure when the event occurred.”

She added: “We continue grieving the loss of our colleague, and our thoughts remain with his family and loved ones.”

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