CUPE 1750 members on the picket lines in Thunder Bay - (CJ Goater/Acadia Broadcasting)
No new deal for the unionized employees at the Workplace Safety Insurance Board’s (WSIB) as the organization’s first strike in its 110-year history enters its sixth week.
Roughly 3,600 employees with the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750) are on the picket lines awaiting an agreeable collective bargaining agreement.
As the strike continues, the union is raising concerns about an internal message sent to WSIB staff.
According to the union, the message outlines a trial program that allows contracted health care providers to contact employers directly and discuss injured workers’ functional abilities, a role typically performed by return-to-work specialists.
“This is a blatant attempt to undermine the strike and outsource union jobs behind closed doors,” said the President of OCEU/CUPE 1750, Harry Goslin. “WSIB would rather contract out work than come to the table with a fair deal. That’s not just disrespectful to our members, it’s dangerous for injured workers who rely on experienced, specialized support.”
Another concern in the memo was contract workers having the ability to discuss return-to-work options.
“These decisions affect people’s recovery, their employment and their future,” said Goslin. “Offloading this to private contractors with no accountability is irresponsible.”
The union is calling on WSIB to immediately halt the trial and return to the bargaining table.
