The labor dispute at Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) has now entered its fourth week, with 3,600 members of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750) continuing strike action. This is the first full-scale stoppage in the board’s 110-year history.
Central to the dispute are longstanding concerns over workload levels, staffing shortages, stagnant compensation, and workplace conditions.
The union claims that these issues have reached a point where services for injured workers are being affected. Internal WSIB documents obtained by the union suggest a growing backlog in claims processing, raising concerns about the agency’s ability to maintain service levels.
WSIB employees, responsible for managing claims and providing support to injured workers, say they are being stretched beyond capacity.
According to union representatives, instead of addressing operational pressures, the board has contracted services to US-based companies, including BetterUp and Iron Mountain. These outsourcing decisions, valued at over $14.5 million, have become a central issue in the negotiations.
OCEU/CUPE 1750 president Harry Goslin said workers are willing to return to the table but need a proposal that responds to their core demands.
“This crisis didn’t need to happen, and it can be resolved if WSIB and the Ford government show leadership,” said Goslin. “Instead, they’re sitting on the sidelines while injured workers face delays, Ontario jobs are outsourced, and frontline staff are stretched beyond their limits.”
Goslin said that workers on strike have experienced surveillance, harassment, and restricted access to facilities. He also said that the outsourcing of Ontario jobs has undermined both job security and public service delivery.
Union leaders maintain that the strike could be resolved quickly if negotiations resumed with a meaningful offer. However, they argue that the employer must first address outsourcing practices and stop what they describe as intimidation tactics.
The WSIB has not publicly responded to the claims made about backlogs or outsourcing impacts in recent days. Government officials have also not issued updated statements on the ongoing dispute.
