Researching impacts of injury on the worker
The Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury (RAACWI) was a 5-year (2006-2011) a Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) project funded by the federal Social Science and Humanities Research Council. The collaborative initiative aimed to answer the question:
How does Ontario’s workers’ compensation system help or hinder the protection of injured workers – immediately and over time – against negative economic, social, physical and mental health consequences of injury and how legislation, policies, programs and practices can best support injured workers?
Community – university collaboration
Community lead was injured worker activist, Steve Mantis (ONIWG, Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers’ Support Group); academic lead Emile Tompa (Institute for Work and Health). Partner organizations: Bancroft Institute, Injured Workers’ Consultants Community Legal Clinic, Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups, Ontario Federation of Labour, Institute for Work & Health, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers, Office of the Worker Adviser, McMaster University, University of Toronto. Other participating organizations: Industrial Accident Victims Group of Ontario, Lakehead University, Toronto Injured Workers’ Advocacy Group, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Trent University, United Steelworkers, University of Ottawa, York University.
Who Killed Sir William? , an analysis of the RAACWI project by key community participants Steve Mantis and Marion Endicott was published in 2024.
RAACWI projects
The Alliance shared research findings through publications and reports, conference presentations, community forums and the play “Easy Money”.
Among actions resulting from the many research projects undertaken, an anti-stigma initiative with the WSIB. In addition to supporting the Injured Workers’ Speakers School, RAACWI built on the work undertaken by Dr Robert Storey and the Injured Workers’ History Project team.
Many of the collaborations have been continued by the Bancroft Institute. Archives of the RAACWI Initiative are held by Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic.
Community Forums
Informal community forums or conferences explored issues through presentations on recent research, analysis, discussion (and humour). Download a list of events and guest speakers held 2008-2012.