Michael Lewis
Special to Ontario Construction News
The Ontario Compensation Employees Union representing more than 3,600 workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board who have been on a legal strike since May 22 says it will return to the bargaining table Thursday.
OCEU/CUPE Local 1750 president Harry Goslin said while he’s not overly optimistic of a breakthrough, he remains eager to find a resolution in the interest of injured workers, union members and the WSIB. He said the board so far has only agreed to one day of talks.
He said the union on Saturday sent a “cease and desist” letter to the board, which it accused of trying to intimidate striking workers. “It’s been a very strange round of bargaining,” Goslin told Ontario Construction News.
The letter also said the union was open to a resumption of talks. Goslin said the union is aiming for an improvement on the board’s latest contract offer, adding that it is seeking a longer collective agreement than the two-year deal that expired at the end of April, although the bargaining deadline was extended to May 21.
After weeks of intensive bargaining, including negotiations over the long weekend, talks with the employer stalled on issues tied to wages and workloads.
The bargaining team for the OCEU/CUPE Local 1750 said the board has refused to commit to measures that would reduce what the union describes as “dangerously high workloads,” which it links to rising rates of depression and anxiety among its members.
Goslin said the union is seeking wages on par with inflation with annual increases mirroring those of public sector and federal civil service contracts.
He said members’ wages have fallen more than 5 per cent behind inflation since 2020 due to factors including Bill C-124, provincial legislation in 2019 that capped annual public sector wage increases at maximum 1 per cent for three years.
The union argues that while the WSIB has issued $4 billion in rebates to employers this year, it has not allocated any of its surplus funds to improve internal working conditions or to expand coverage to the 1.56 million Ontario workers who are currently not covered by WSIB.
OCEU/CUPE 1750 members voted 96 per cent in favour of strike action on May 1. The strike is the first in the history of WSIB employees.
“We are pleased that the OCEU has decided to come back to the bargaining table,” said board spokesperson Christine Arnott in an email. “The WSIB remains committed to reaching a fair, and reasonable agreement that recognizes the needs of people who are injured as our top priority.”
The WSIB has stated it will continue to process claims and pay income support to those off work due to work-related injury or illness during a labour disruption. WSIB employees not represented by OCEU are providing services during the strike.
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