The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) issued the following letter to Ontario Minister David Piccini, Treasury Board President Hon. Caroline Mulroney, and WSIB President & CEO Jeff Lang on May 13, 2025. Download the letter here.
Dear Minister Piccini, Treasury Board President Mulroney, and WSIB President & CEO Lang,
RE: OCEU / CUPE Local 1750 negotiations and Support for a Fair and Timely Settlement
On behalf of unions representing more than one million workers in the province of Ontario, we stand in full solidarity with OCEU / CUPE Local 1750 in their current round of collective bargaining with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
Minister Piccini, Treasury Board President Mulroney and President Lang, we are deeply concerned about the issue of unsustainable workloads being faced by members of OCEU / CUPE Local 1750—workers who play a critical role in delivering vital services to injured workers and employers across the province.
The rising demands placed upon these employees are not only unfair but risk undermining the quality and effectiveness of the services provided by the WSIB.
These issues must be addressed seriously and urgently at the bargaining table.
We call upon WSIB leadership to engage in meaningful, good-faith negotiations that recognize the value and dedication of OCEU / CUPE Local 1750 members. We firmly believe that a fair and respectful settlement can and should be achieved—one that addresses workload, supports work-life balance, and ensures dignity for these workers.
It is our collective hope that a resolution is reached before any strike or lockout is imposed.
A work stoppage would not only disrupt services but further erode our trust that the WSIB is delivering on its mandate to support injured workers in Ontario accessing their workers compensation system.
This can and must be avoided.
We urge the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, the Treasury Board and the Minister of Labour, who has responsibility for the WSIB, to take this opportunity to demonstrate leadership and respect for these employees and all workers in this province, by settling this round of bargaining in a way that reflects fairness, equity, and sustainability.
Sincerely,
LAURA WALTON President
LW/RH/jc/cope343
C: OCEU / CUPE Local 1750 Bargaining Committee
Signed on behalf of the following individuals and organizations that endorse this letter, and the requests for action included herein.
Fred Hahn
President
CUPE Ontario
Karen Brown President
Elementary Teachers’
Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
Mike Gallagher
Business Manager
International Union of
Operating Engineers Local 793
Jeff Irons
Vice-President
IBEW Local 353
Erin Ariss, RN
President
Ontario Nurses’ Association
Rebecca Caron
President
IFPTE 160 – Society
of United Professionals
Blair Gallant
President
SMWIA Local 30
René Jansen in de Wal
President
Ontario English Catholic
Teachers’ Association (OECTA)
Kelly Belbin
President
COPE Ontario
John Di Nino
President
ATU Canada
JP Hornick
President
Ruth Lau MacDonald
Regional Executive
Vice-President
PSAC-NCR | AFPC-RCN
Karen Littlewood
President
Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO)
Charlene Nero
President
LiUNA Local 3000
Jan Simpson
National President
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
Guled Warsame
President
Unite Here Local 75
Ralph Martin
Chief of Staff
IAM Union
John Nock
President
UFCW Local 12r24
Terry Snooks
Director of Canadian Affairs
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada
Nigmendra Narain
President
Ontario Confederation of
University Faculty Associations (OCUFA)
Craig Reynolds
Regional Executive
Vice-President
PSAC Ontario
Kevon Stewart
Director
USW District 6
