NDP’s Thunder Bay team is on your side for overhaul the broken WSIB system

THUNDER BAY — Ontario NDP candidates for Thunder Bay – Superior North Lise Vaugeois and Thunder Bay – Atikokan, Judith Monteith-Farrell joined the Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers and Thunder Bay and District Labour Council to speak on overhauling the current WSIB system and bring more fairness to workers across Ontario.

“In 1998, supports for injured workers were significantly reduced, with the promise that rates would be restored when the WSIB no longer had an unfunded liability,” said Vaugeois. “However, now that there is a surplus, instead of restoring rates, benefits continue to be slashed, support payments are deducted for jobs that don’t exist, claims for long-term injuries are suppressed, companies are incentivized to hide accidents—all of which has resulted in workers being forced into poverty. Instead of addressing these known problems, the WSIB and the Conservative government have chosen to make wealthy employers $2.5 billion wealthier as they head into 2025. This is unjust and must change"

“Study after study has shown that permanently injured and ill workers often experience poverty, stigma, and a series of worsening health issues that can lead to the loss of their homes, families, and former way of life,” said Monteith-Farrell. “Rather than addressing this well-documented issue, the WSIB and the Conservative government have instead prioritized making wealthy employers $2.5 billion richer. This is yet another failure of the Ford government that the Ontario NDP is determined to fix.”

The Ontario NDP government will create a system that will better protect the health and safety of all Ontario workers, protect them and their families in case of injury or disease at work, and provide stability for Ontario businesses.

The NDP’s plan to protect workers and improve fairness by overhauling WSIB will:

• Compensate workers for as long as their work-acquired disability lasts, instead of cutting them off unfairly.
• Deliver 85-90% loss of earnings when workers are injured or disabled as a result of their work, which Ford government has failed to do.
• Expand workers’ health care benefits so they can receive the treatments they need, including mental health care.
• Recognize workplace clusters of disease when patterns exceed the level in the community.