The Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal printed the following letter.

Board too stingy with injury benefits

Monday, February 23, 2015

I applaud Steve Mantis for his article on the injured workers support group’s Platform For Change (Guest Column, Feb. 19). I have seen too many of my co-workers from all trades fall into addiction to Percocets and Oxycontin when denied benefits.

The compensation board is known as the non-compensation board as it has denied benefits to thousands of injured workers. Unless you are carried off to the hospital on a stretcher you are going to face an uphill climb to access benefits.

There was one retraining exercise that put back injury workers into the small motors program or social worker program so that you have a 40-to-50-year-old worker competing for jobs with young apprentice mechanics or 20-something graduates.

The toll on injured workers and their families is debilitating and disrespectful. The board appears to spend more money denying benefits than paying benefits.

Edwin Kivisto

Thunder Bay

Well said Edwin.