Thousands of WSIB workers enter ‘full' strike mode after being allegedly locked out
Thousands of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board members were at picket lines across Ontario for the third day as their union announced a 'full' strike — with no end to the work stoppage in sight.
Members of the CUPE-affiliated Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU) had planned to be back in office Monday as part of their 'rolling' strike against the WSIB that started last Wednesday when talks between union executives and the employer stalled ahead of the May 21 deadline to reach a new collective agreement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
10 hours ago
- CTV News
3,600 unionized WSIB workers remain off the job across Ontario, including in Windsor
Thousands of employees with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) are now into their second week of a strike, the first full-scale work stoppage in the WSIB's 110-year history. 3,600 members of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750), including 180 members in Windsor , walked off the job on May 21 after contract talks that began in late February did not amount to a tentative agreement. Speaking on AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg, Carla Mallett, appeals resolutions officer at WSIB and CUPE member, said one of the main sticking points for the union remains wages. 'We want to be back up into the current rate of inflation and seek the gains that we lost since 2020 and COVID,' Mallett said. 'We're not asking for anything unreasonable, as well we're looking at workloads, we have consistently had workload issues, however it's reached a point where it's unmanageable.' The union levied some serious allegations against the employer on Thursday including staff being harassed for participating in strike action, being targeted by private investigators hired by management to monitor pickett lines, and as Mallett said, staff were locked out of their work systems. 'As you may or may not know, the Windsor office does not have a physical location, we all work remotely, and they locked us out of our system, so it forced us to go onto the streets to strike,' Mallett said. Mallett claims operations at WSIB are compromised with 3,600 workers off the job and said injured or ill workers will feel the impacts. 'They're going to be probably forced through the system in some capacity, but they're not going to be receiving the ongoing care that's necessary to get them back to work, get them the healthcare that's needed, there's case managers, there's nurse consultants who work with these individuals, and we're not there to help them,' said Mallett. A WSIB spokesperson, responding to the union's allegations, argued that the union has 'no idea what they're talking about,' adding 'hundreds' of union members are choosing to go to work. WSIB vice president of communications, Aaron Lazarus, called upon the union to produce proof of their claims. 'I think there are actually some examples where people have made complaints to our business ethics office around feeling that some of their colleagues had harassed them or bullied them for choosing to elect to continue working, and we have zero tolerance approach to harassment and bullying, so I believe there are some investigations that are happening there,' Lazarus said. Lazarus added hundreds of both unionized and non-unionized workers remain on the job, with no current backlogs. 'I think the most important thing for people in Windsor to know is that if you were already a client of the WSIB, your income support and your healthcare is going to continue,' Lazarus said. 'If you get hurt on the job today, you can go online and file a claim, or you can call us, and we're picking up the phone, your claim is going to be registered, you're going to get income supports if you're off work, and you're going to get the healthcare access that you need.' Lazarus said the job action is affecting some of their services, including the postponement of any scheduled hearings and worksite meetings and the appeals process. 'So, if you are appealing a previously made decision, that process is on pause for now and we're going to get that back up and running as soon as we are able to have the full team together again,' Lazarus said. According to Lazarus, negotiations between the two sides continue with the help of a mediator. - Written by Dustin Coffman/AM800 News.
National Post
a day ago
- National Post
WSIB Workers Mark Two Weeks on Strike as Ford Government Turns a Blind Eye to Dangerous Workloads and U.S. Outsourcing
Article content TORONTO — 3,600 members of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750), who support more than 5.6 million workers across Ontario, are now entering their second week on strike—the first full-scale work stoppage in the WSIB's 110-year history. Article content The strike stems from dangerously high workloads, chronic understaffing, stagnant wages, and a toxic workplace culture—conditions that have created growing backlogs for injured Ontarians. Adding fuel to the fire, the Ford government has allowed WSIB to outsource critical Ontario jobs to U.S.-based companies, undermining public services and costing local jobs. Article content 'Our members are passionate about helping injured workers—but they are workers too,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'The Ford government and WSIB management are refusing to fix the growing crisis inside the system. Instead, they're sending Ontario jobs and public dollars to American companies. That's not cost-saving—it's job-killing. And it flies in the face of Ontario's own Made-in-Canada promises.' Article content WSIB staff have been locked out of their work systems, harassed for participating in legal strike action, and targeted by private investigators hired by management to monitor picket lines. Meanwhile, WSIB has spent $14.5 million on U.S.-based coaching firm BetterUp, and is finalizing a contract with American company Iron Mountain that will eliminate 26 Ontario jobs tied to vital document management. Article content 'Instead of coming to the table with real solutions, the employer is stalling negotiations and using intimidation tactics, while Ontario's injured workers face longer wait times and growing backlogs,' said Goslin. ' This strike was avoidable. We remain ready to negotiate, but management must stop the intimidation, end the outsourcing, and bring forward a fair deal.' Article content WSIB is solely funded by Ontario employers—not taxpayers. In the past year, the Board handed out $4 billion in rebates to employers but refuses to invest a fraction of that in addressing staff workloads, fair wages or improving the services available to injured workers. Article content The outsourcing of public sector jobs and the failure to address core issues at WSIB set a troubling precedent for Ontario's broader public services. Article content 'All workers deserve fair pay, safe workplaces, and respect,' Goslin said. 'This strike can end tomorrow if WSIB and the Ford government come to the table with a real deal. It's time to stop the delay tactics, end the intimidation, and invest in the people who keep Ontario's public services running.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information, please contact: Article content Article content Bill Chalupiak Article content Article content Article content
National Post
2 days ago
- National Post
Strike at WSIB Stretches as Employer Dawdles
Article content TORONTO — As the strike at the WSIB approaches its second week, the WSIB management is dragging its heels on issuing a pass. The OCEU/CUPE 1750 bargaining team issued a complete pass back to the employer on June 1, but have yet to receive a fulsome response. 'It's like they aren't taking the strike seriously,' said Harry Goslin, president of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'Our members are out on the picket lines because they are overworked and feel disrespected by the employer, and these delay tactics are just a manifestation of that disrespect.' Article content 'The employer made the union wait four days for a pass last week,' added Nicole Francis, OCEU/CUPE 1750's chief steward. 'Their lack of meaningful engagement in this process is deeply frustrating.' Article content Article content The union is hoping to get a meaningful solution to the workload problem that is causing elevated rates of burnout and mental health leaves among OCEU/CUPE 1750 members, as well as a deal that will allow the members to catch up to the spending power they had before Bill 124 froze their wages. Article content 'We have been told the Treasury Board is telling the employer not to offer us a fair wage deal,' said Goslin. 'Seeing as the WSIB isn't taxpayer-funded, we're not sure why the Treasury Board is involved at all.' Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content
