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Cuts to Prevention Office questioned

May 12, 2019

The line-by-line spending in the government estimates recently made public show a 13.5% budget cut ($16 million) to the Ministry of Labour’s Prevention Office charged with a mandate to improve workplace safety. Advocates note it makes no sense. While the Ministry…

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Cutting the lifeline to legal help

May 7, 2019

Low-income and disadvantaged Ontarians are asking why the province’s April budget is targeting their access to justice? The provincial government has cut funding to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) by 36%. Because of this, LAO is proposing to cut the budget for Ontario’s…

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Day of Mourning – remembering lives lost

April 24, 2019

Communities across Ontario will hold Day of Mourning ceremonies this Sunday (Monday in some locations) to recognize workers killed, made ill or injured on the job. The event, initiated in 1984 by the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) workers and adopted…

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ONIWG raises alarm bells over cuts

April 19, 2019

The Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG) has released a statement raising the alarm bells over the 30% cut to Legal Aid Ontario in last week’s provincial budget, and in particular the serious threat it poses to community legal clinics .…

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Calling for a commitment to justice

April 17, 2019

The size and scope of cuts to legal aid funding announced in last week’s provincial Budget were a blow to equitable access to justice for Ontario’s most vulnerable populations. Cuts of almost 30% (a reduced allocation to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) of…

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Sharing lessons on the legacy of asbestos

April 9, 2019

A delegation from Casale Monferrato, the small Italian town devastated by high rates of mesothelioma and related disease after occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos, yesterday began its week-long visit to Ontario. The group, which includes oncologists, a civic politician, educators and…

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From the House floor

March 28, 2019

On Monday Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell rose in the Legislative Assembly to present a petition and to address how principles underlying Ontario’s workers’ compensation system are being eroded. Her comments focused on the recent 30% cuts to employers’ premiums all while,…

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Outreach sessions for injured workers

March 28, 2019

Knowing your rights and how to self-advocate, sharing experiences with fellow injured workers, getting expert legal advice … Two outreach events have been organized for April by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG) in the Guelph and St Catharines regions…

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News roundup

March 8, 2019

On Thursday Injured worker activist Maryam Nazemi was one of eight awarded the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship . A long-time advocate for full workers’ compensation coverage , Maryam was recognized for turning “a personal workplace tragedy into a driving force for…

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Challenges in disability policy

February 28, 2019

Persons with disabilities face many challenges in accessing public programs for financial aid or disability supports – or from being trapped in them once eligible. In a recent report Disability Policy: From Remedies to Rights (Dec. 2018), Sherri Torjman lays out the…

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