Injured Workers' Stories

Chances are that most people know someone who has had a work injury that has seriously affected his/her health, social relationships and ability to earn a living wage. However because of the stereotypes and stigma that are still all too common, or from fear of reprisal, many injured workers are naturally reluctant to speak out. These personal accounts give a glimpse into the real world of injured workers in Ontario today.

On each of the 40 days leading up to Injured Workers Day 2023 (the 40th anniversary), one injured worker will be sharing their story - check out these videos at https://injuredworkersorganize.ca/stories.

Find other injured worker experiences at Stories: Community Videos (Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy) and the Altered Lives Project (UFCW Locals 175 & 633)

Antonio, Rose, Frances, Sylvia

Occupational Disability Response Team video of four injured workers speaking on the impact on their lives. Runs 7.54 minutes

“I feel morally destroyed” (Antonio), “It’s very very difficult” (Rose), “I’m still nervous” (Frances), “That’s all I have to give … I am alive” (Sylvia). Four injured workers speak on the stark reality of their daily life following workplace injury and illness. …

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Richard & Peter

ONIWG leaders and longtime injured worker activists, Richard Hudon and Peter Page, recently embarked on a 600k bike marathon from Ottawa to reach Toronto by June 1, Injured Workers’ Day 2015. Accompanied by team member Pierre Le Blanc in the support vehicle,…

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Wes & Kim

"Nobody wants to live in poverty...This is not where we want to be, this is not how we want to be living..." A 1995 work injury leaves a construction worker with a permanent disability after three failed surgeries. The effect on the family income is also long-lasting. In this video, the couple share the type of day-to-day decisions they are now forced to make.

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Steve

Letter from injured worker Steve Mantis tells of the impact volunteer activity and peer support had on his life following a construction accident in which he lost his left arm. "While in the hospital, I received tremendous support from my friends and family. This really made a difference in my recovery. There are so many examples of this support that I can't tell them all, but I want to share one incident..."

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Tewduda

Tewduda, a personal support worker, injured her back lifting a paralyzed patient out of bed. Now permanently disabled and living with constant pain, she applied to the WSIB for help. Instead, she became a victim of "deeming", unable to work and "assumed" to have a job she could not get. With benefits cut, she finds herself unable to pay the rent and fearful for her daughter's future.

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Antonio

Long-time member of Bright Lights and activist in the injured worker movement, Tony Mauro (d. 2022) was injured in two construction work accidents after immigrating to Canada in 1956. The first injury was to his back in 1966 when working as a…

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Maria

As an administrative assistant suffering work-related repetitive strain injury discovered, her need for proper rehabilitation, just compensation and return to appropriate work apparently came to distant second to minimizing costs. Maria's experience tells the real story behind the declining statistics...

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Halima

Experience rating perils... a CBC investigative team documented the progress of Halima who, pressured by her employer to return to work the day after a serious work accident, slipped into poverty, pain and depression from the head injury and struggles to have her claim recognized.

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