This 4th video of the series Rights Don’t Retire highlights the impacts of injury on a worker, his struggle to recover when given no time to heal, and the devastating toll he saw it take on his family.
Wayne is a sprinkler-fitter who injured his shoulder at work in 2012. Initially, the WSIB told him he had a sprained shoulder and sent him back to his job on strong painkillers, despite his doctor’s recommendations.
“I found myself pushed back to work on opiates because let’s be honest, I was now a mathematical equation that at 65 they’d be done with me with no regard for me and especially my family… “
Eventually, it was discovered Wayne had been worsening a torn labrum while he couldn’t feel the pain. 
Seven surgeries (the last being a full reverse shoulder replacement) and over ten years of fighting later, Wayne received the WSIB benefits he should have been entitled to all along. But it came at a cost, and with age 65 approaching, Wayne is facing a devastating cut to his benefits once again. Watch Brian’s whole story here [YouTube, 3:33 mins]
The Minister of Labour has promised to change how the workers’ compensation system treats older workers. Now it’s time for action. Let the Minister of Labour and your MPP know how you feel about this issue using our easy tool by visiting https://win.newmode.net/rightsdontretire.
To learn more about the Rights Don’t Retire campaign and our vision for a more just approach to age-based cut offs, visit injuredworkersonline.org/RightsDontRetire