A step forward, but far from universal: CUPE calls WSIB expansion incomplete

HAMILTON, ON.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wednesday’s announcement of the expansion of Workplace Safety and Insurance Board coverage still leaves over 1.5 million Ontario workers without critical safety protections.

“Today’s announcement is a half measure,” said Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario. “Over 1.5 million Ontario workers — child care workers among them – are being told their safety isn't a priority — and without mandatory coverage, too many employers will make sure it stays that way. The Ontario government needs to stop stalling and deliver universal WSIB coverage for every worker in this province. Workers can't afford to wait."

The new coverage includes workers in retirement homes, group homes, and residential care facilities, sectors that place a heavy physical burden on workers and have seen increasing rates of workplace violence and PTSD in recent years. Many other Ontario workers – including many in equally physically demanding workplaces such as childcare centres – are still being left behind, excluded from mandatory WSIB coverage. Employers have proven that without mandated coverage they are often unwilling to provide workers with WSIB protection.

“Nearly one in four workers in Ontario doesn’t have coverage. This is a crisis and slowly patching holes over the course of years is not an adequate solution. We need universal coverage, now. No worker should be left behind,” said Harry Goslin, president of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU), which represents 3,800 workers at the WSIB and the Insurance Health and Safety Association. “Universal coverage is the only way to provide workers the confidence and safety they deserve. It will also be an economic boon, adding $205 million to Ontario’s economy while saving $100 million in OHIP costs.”

While a drop in the bucket for those workers without coverage, Wednesday’s announcement also introduces higher workloads for existing WSIB workers themselves. The government-imposed hiring freeze means that WSIB workers will be expected to do more without adequate staffing levels. This compounds the problems that workers in Ontario face when seeking WSIB coverage and increases the retention and recruitment issues at WSIB.

js/COPE491