Statement from CUPE WSIB Specialists on the Impact of Ongoing Strike on Workers' Compensation Services
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MARKHAM, Ontario — As the strike at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) continues, CUPE's WSIB Specialists – lawyers and paralegals who represent CUPE members in appeals at the WSIB and Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal – are raising urgent concerns about the growing disruption of critical services that injured workers rely on.
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'Workers are already feeling the consequences of this work stoppage, and the impact is both immediate and serious,' said one CUPE specialist, speaking with OCEU. 'One worker's retroactive Loss of Earnings (LOE) benefits are currently stalled in WSIB payroll, after months of delays already caused by the employer. Now, with the strike ongoing, that delay is only compounding.'
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Specialists are also reporting widespread delays in case processing, including file access, reconsideration requests, and Appeals Resolution Officer (ARO) reviews. These vital processes are now expected to take weeks or even months longer.
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'The employer has assigned managers and directors to oversee the work of case managers, but many are unable to provide clear answers or timelines,' the representative said.
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In another troubling case, a worker was given incorrect information about the delivery of urgently needed compensation cheques. 'I was told by a Case Manager that the worker's claim had gone to payment just before the strike and would be sent by courier that same day. I passed that information on to the worker.'
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However, the cheques did not arrive. 'The worker was understandably frustrated and in distress. When I called WSIB, I was told – after being placed on hold – that courier delivery could actually take up to 10 business days. That's not what we were originally told, and it certainly doesn't help the worker who has been waiting desperately for these funds.'
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'This is not an isolated glitch. It reflects the deeper dysfunction we're seeing throughout the system,' said the specialist. 'WSIB continues to claim there are no interruptions to service. But we know that's simply not true.'
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