CUPE: WSIB Workers Vote 96% to Strike

TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After months at the bargaining table, the WSIB files a surprise No-Board on April 29^th. This puts the employer in the position to terminate the collective agreement for members of OCEU/CUPE 1750 as early as May 16^th if a deal cannot be reached.

In response, the union held a strike vote on May 1^st. An overwhelming 96% of members voted in favour of strike action, showing incredible resilience against the bullying tactics of WSIB management.

Every day, skilled and dedicated case managers, nurses, return to work specialists, health & safety specialists and other crucial workers who provide much needed services to injured workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) go to work to help keep Ontarians safe. They make sure more than 5.3 million workers across 325,000 workplaces can access their benefits, that their families get the support they need when an injury occurs, that workplaces take steps to mitigate risk, and that hurt workers have a path to return to work when they’re ready.

This isn’t just insurance. The workers of CUPE Local 1750 (also known as the Ontario Compensation Employees Union - OCEU) look at the people behind the cases and ensure everyone is taken care of. Their work takes time – to properly evaluate a case, to map out a recovery plan, and to work with families.

Except they’re not given enough time or resources. They used to get six months training. Now, it’s cut in half. Caseloads and micromanagement are at unsustainable levels driving up anxiety and depression among WSIB workers well above the national average.

While OCEU/CUPE 1750 members see the people in their casefiles, senior management at WSIB just sees numbers. Workers are stretched thin, overworked, and told to do more with less while management gives themselves compensation improvements.

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