We are pleased to see the government recognize three items on the OFL’s Injured Worker Bill of Rights – ending age discrimination, officially recognizing Injured Workers Day, and expanding workers’ compensation coverage – as well as increasing Loss of Earnings from 85 to 90%. But our collective work is not over until all workers are recognized as worthy of coverage, without shortcuts or shortcomings.
We need to see:
- An end to ‘deeming’
- Unimpeded access to health care that injured workers need
- The WSIB listening to injured workers’ medical professionals
- Workers receive full benefits, regardless of so-called “pre-existing conditions”
- Universal workers’ compensation coverage in every sector and every workplace
- An increase to Loss of Retirement Income, equal to what workers would receive through CPP if they were not injured – paid solely by the Board.
The Ontario New Democratic Party has a Bill that would address all of these issues, called the “Meredith Act”. It is named after the founding principles of the workers’ compensation system. We must go back to the roots of the system, and treat injured workers as workers worthy of full and fair compensation. How the government approaches workers injured on the job says a lot about how they treat workers.
