NDP MPP Lise Vaugeois to Join WSIB Strike Picket Line in Thunder Bay
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THUNDER BAY, Ontario — NDP MPP for Thunder Bay–Superior North, Lise Vaugeois, Shadow Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, with responsibility for WSIB and Injured Workers, will join the picket line at 605 Sibley Drive on Monday, June 9, 2025, in support of 3,600 striking WSIB workers represented by the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750). OCEU/CUPE 1750 members, have spent over two weeks on strike, are calling for fair wages, safer workplaces, and an end to the outsourcing of Ontario jobs to U.S.-based firms.
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The picket line will run from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with MPP Vaugeois expected to arrive at 10:00 a.m. to deliver remarks.
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'Instead of listening to injured workers and front-line employees, WSIB management and the Ford government decided to shut them out and contract out critical services to the US. Now injured workers are paying the price with delays and backlogs while employers pocket millions in unjustified rebates. Ontarians deserve better,' said Lise Vaugeois, MPP for Thunder Bay–Superior North. 'This is the sixth time I've publicly stood with CUPE 1750, and I continue to call on WSIB management to return to the table and deliver a fair deal that respects staff and ensures injured workers get the support they deserve.'
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Since the strike began, MPP Vaugeois has been a vocal advocate at Queen's Park, raising workers' concerns in the legislature and pressing the Ford government to address the ongoing WSIB crisis.
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'MPP Vaugeois has been an incredible ally, bringing our picket lines into Queen's Park and hammering the government on our behalf,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'It's a great pleasure to now have her join us on the line in person. Her support means a great deal to our members in Thunder Bay and across Ontario.'
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OCEU/CUPE 1750 members continue to face chronic understaffing, stagnant wages, and growing pressure to outsource essential public services. The union is calling on the Ford government and WSIB leadership to invest in frontline workers and protect good, unionized jobs in Ontario.
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