Workers' Compensation News

Government to allow WSIB to pay up to $3 billion of its surplus back to employers; Employer premiums to be cut by $168 million

The Ontario government announced, in early October, it would table legislation to allow the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) to return up to $3 billion in alleged surplus funds back to employers. The WSIB also announced it would cut employer premiums – again – this time by $168 million.

But workers’ claims continue to be denied every day, and benefit levels have been reduced over the years, all in the name of reducing costs to employers.

Giving all of this money back to employers means that injured workers still shoulder the burden of a system that constantly fails to provide fair compensation.

“There are so many injured workers living in poverty because their benefits are inadequate,” said President Haggerty. “Plus, the process of making a claim, let alone the appeals process, puts workers who are ill or injured in a constant uphill battle in a complex and slow system. This ‘surplus’ money should be used to make accessing benefits easier and improve benefit levels.”

You can read more on the surplus on page 8 of the Fall 2021 issue of Checkout magazine or online at bit.ly/ufcw175-wsibsurplus.

With an election on the horizon next year, this move by the government seems like a clear attempt to sway the votes of business owners to cast their ballots for Ford.

Your Union will continue to advocate on behalf of our Members and injured workers by opposing premium cuts and refunds to employers, participating in lobbying and consultation submissions, and advocating for far better benefits for injured workers.

ONIWG Halloween MPP Lobby

UFCW 175 Workers Comp Rep Courtney Salomons (left) and ONIWG acting President Willy Noiles (centre) present MPP Jennie Stevens (right) with a letter from injured workers.

On October 29, injured workers, labour organizations, allies, and your Union took part in the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Group (ONIWG) Halloween MPP Lobby. Locals 175 & 633 Workers’ Comp Reps met with MPPs and postered local MPP offices, too.

Workers’ Comp Rep Courtney Salomons and ONIWG acting President Willy Noiles met with St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens (pictured above left to right) to deliver a letter and sit down to discuss concerns affecting injured workers, including:

• The WSIB ‘surplus;’

• The practice of deeming, and using pre-existing conditions as reasons to deny claims;

• The WSIB’s discrediting of injured workers’ physicians and other treating professionals in favour of its own specialty clinic doctors, and;

• The appalling number of rejected Chronic, Traumatic and Post-Traumatic stress claims.

How many stress claims have been denied?As of August 2021, WSIB website reported:

• 6,685 claims have been adjudicated under the Chronic or Traumatic Stress policies.

• Only 393, less than 6 per cent, were allowed.

• Of the total claims, 885 claims were withdrawn or requested information was not provided.

• More than 5,400 claims were denied.

Read the letter submitted to MPP Stevens online at bit.ly/ONIWGLobbyDay.