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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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Italian delegation to share experience in dealing with the legacy of asbestos

February 20, 2019

From April 7-15 a delegation from Casale Monferrato, Italy, the small city of 36,000 people which has suffered more than 1000 mesothelioma cases from preventable asbestos exposure, will make a solidarity and educational visit to Ontario. This visit is part of…

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Employers advised to double down on injured workers with new WSIB Rate Framework

February 10, 2019

The WSIB’s switch to a new rate framework for employers in January 2020 will hit injured workers with a double whammy. Both the new and old rate systems are based on experience rating, which raises employers’ rates when accident cost or…

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Building power – highlights from 2018 Workers’ Comp Is A Right Campaign

February 9, 2019

In many ways, 2018 was a year of ups and downs for social justice movements across Ontario. While the Ford government cuts have already started to dig into poor and marginalized communities, there is also broad momentum to push back and defend…

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OFL calls for universal workers’ compensation coverage

February 7, 2019

As part of their submissions to the Ontario Government’s pre-budget consultation, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) calls on the province to extend workers’ comp coverage to everyone in the province. Though many people assume everyone in Ontario is entitle to WSIB…

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Compensation for occupational cancer to be reviewed

February 3, 2019

In Ontario, as elsewhere in Canada, more workers die from occupational illness than workplace injuries. In 2017, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) allowed 175 occupational disease fatality claims, with mesothelioma, lung and bronchial cancers and asbestosis heading the list of…

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Feb 28 – 20th annual International RSI Awareness Day Conference, Toronto

February 1, 2019

February 28 marks the 20th anniversary of the International RSI Awareness Day. The annual event – established on the initiative of Ontario injured worker activist Catherine Fenech – aims to educate about repetitive strain injuries and their prevention. The cause of…

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Presentation to pre-budget hearings, Dryden

January 29, 2019

The Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group made a presentation to the Parliamentary Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs Pre-Budget Hearings in Dryden, Ontario on January 21, 2019. They covered two issues: the growing gap of income inequality in Ontario…

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Hazards of working in the gig economy

January 18, 2019

Debate continues on the pros and cons of the gig economy. In this ‘sharing economy’ based on freelance, temporary or contingent on-demand project or piece-work arrangements, workers contract their labour through internet-based platforms such as Uber, Hyr, Upwork. According to staffing company…

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