Hundreds of unionized workers at WSIB walk off job in Toronto as union calls for better offer

Hundreds of unionized workers at Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board walked off the job in Toronto on Thursday as part of provincial rolling strikes after their union said they were unable to reach an agreement with their employer.

Harry Goslin, president of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU), also known as CUPE Local 1750, which represents workers at the WSIB, said on Thursday that both sides have been negotiating for a new collective agreement since Feb. 25. The union was in a legal strike position as of Wednesday. 

Gosling said the employer has presented offers that the union cannot accept. He said the union would like to see a meaningful offer on the issues of workload, wages and workplace culture.

The workload situation at the WSIB, in particular, is "dire," he added. He said caseload numbers are too high, the board hasn't hired enough workers and training needs to be improved.

"Our anxiety levels and our depression are much higher than the national average, and despite this, the WSIB has refused to act. This has to change," Goslin said.

Goslin added that the union believes the workplace is "toxic" — something the WSIB has denied.

Some withdrawal of services during strikes

Goslin said there will be some withdrawal of services during the rolling strikes. 

During the rolling strikes, the WSIB said people can continue to log in to its website to: report an injury or illness; submit documents for an existing claim; see claim, payment, and health benefit information in real time; register a new business; and access clearances  

WSIB said its employees not represented by OCEU are working to provide priority services during the rolling strikes.

The union said in a news release that the pickets were to be set up on Thursday and Friday in Toronto, Kingston, London, North Bay, Ottawa, Sault Ste Marie, St. Catherines, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins, and Windsor. On Thursday, up to 1,000 workers took part in Toronto, while 3,600 workers took part in all in Ontario.

Union members took part in a rally outside a WSIB office at 200 Front Street W. on Thursday, marching up and down the street, carrying flags in the rain.

In a speech to union members at the rally, Goslin said: "My coworkers and I are taking a stand right now, this year, this round of bargaining, to defend our wellness and our standard of living and to fight for a WSIB that prioritizes workers and their needs."

According to the union, the latest WSIB offer proposes wage increases of two per cent in the first year, followed by 1.5 per cent in the second year and one per cent in the third year. Goslin said the union asked the employer to do better.

WSIB turns off building access for striking workers

Aaron Lazarus, vice-president of communications for the WSIB, said there is a "comprehensive offer" on the table but he declined to confirm the details.

"We have lots of people who are so proud of the work that they do and that shines in our organization every day," he said. "I think that we have a really great place to work, I think that we are compensated well for it and I think we are very much looking forward to having everyone back at work so that we can help Ontarians."

Lazarus said case managers working on long-time claims have seen the number of cases they oversee decrease over the past five years.

"Workload actually isn't a definition in the collective agreement itself. There is, in the collective agreement, a note that we'll work together with the union in addressing that," Lazarus said.

In a news release on Thursday, the WSIB said it has turned off technology and building access for those participating in a strike. 

The WSIB said the move is a "safety precaution" and was done to eliminate potential service disruptions.

Jeff Lang, president and CEO of the WSIB, said in the release: "Our top priority is helping people. Rather than pursue further disruption, the WSIB is focused on bargaining, and ensuring critical services continue to be offered. We will do everything in our power to support people who rely on what we do."