Tell Doug Ford to end injured worker poverty TODAY

Use the form below to send an email to the Premier and Minister of Labour demanding that they call a vote on Bill 119 – The Respecting Injured Workers Act. Bill 119 would end the practice of “deeming” or “phantom jobs” in which the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board pretends a worker has a job that they do not, and cuts or eliminates their benefits.

A recent whistleblower report by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups proved that deeming is making people poor, and the WSIB knows it.

The WSIB deems workers because the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act tells them to. Bill 119 would end that practice by saying the WSIB can’t deem a worker unless they refuse to look for work, or turn down a job.

We encourage you to also send an email to your MPP. To do so, find your MPP’s name and contact info by visiting this page and typing in your postal code, then copy (cut & paste) the letter below into a separate email to them.

Pass Bill 119
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Dear Premier Ford and Minister McNaughton, The Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups (ONIWG) recently released a report called Phantom Jobs and Empty Pockets. The report – which uses secret documents acquired from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) through a series of Freedom of Information requests – proves what we have long said: The WSIB’s practice of “deeming” (also called "Phantom Jobs") makes injured workers poor. Deeming is when the WSIB pretends an injured worker has a job that they do not have, and cuts their benefits as a result. More often than not, these workers end up on social assistance, resulting in costs to taxpayers that total millions of dollars every month. In recognition of this injustice MPP Wayne Gates has introduced Bill 119 to the legislature. The "Respecting Injured Workers Act" would end this harmful practice by adopting a system similar to that used by Employment Insurance: Injured workers who were deemed able to work could not be cut off benefits unless they were not seeking a job, or turned one down in bad faith. Preventing the poverty of thousands of injured workers in Ontario – and saving taxpayers millions of dollars – only requires changing one line of law. We are writing today to ask you to call a free vote on Bill 119, and to help injured workers and our families live with dignity.
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