Contact us at tbiwsg@gmail.com if you want to join us for these Zoom Sessions!
May 28 10AM-12PM
Return to work coordinators
Pam Hopwood is a PhD student supervised by Dr. Ellen MacEachen at the University of Waterloo.
She will present findings related to two papers about RTW coordination, both of which draw on data from a research study led by Ellen MacEachen. First, she will discuss how a standpoint approach enhances our ability to understand how issues can be viewed from multiple perspectives, using the example of the role of Unions in RTW. The position of coordinators in relation to the issue of union involvement in RTW impacts their perspectives of the objectives of RTW negotiation, and how union coordinators helped or hindered the RTW process. Second, she will discuss the discourses adopted by RTW coordinators’ as they spoke about their roles in relation to workers, problematizing the language used to describe and frame their roles.
May 14 – 10AM-12PM Via ZOOM
Pennee Iaboni – Ontario federation of Labour – June 1st Actions – OFL will be co-hosting with the TBIW an online panel discussion about injured workers’ issues, featuring injured workers and their supporters (labour leaders and community allies). This event will be part of the Injured Workers’ Campaign, and will be promoted publicly.
May 7 – 10AM-12PM Via ZOOM
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic – “IWC will share some visuals from its library to document the proud history of Injured Workers’ Day and to celebrate the inspiration of injured worker activists.”
April 30 – 10AM-12PM Via ZOOM
Harry Glasbeek – Law Professor at York University (retired) – I have now sat in on several of your zoom meetings. I have been moved by the stories of brave, often, frustrating struggles that injured people have to fight in order to get even a modicum of social justice. I would like to present an argument that the workers’ compensation scheme is designed to force you to struggle. Its purpose, despite the way it presents itself, is not to look after hurt workers. To the contrary: it is designed to contain not only workers’ demands for monetary compensation but also to contain their just demands for greater autonomy over their lives
April 23 – 10AM-12PM
Immigrant workers’ experiences of racism and discrimination following a work injury
Through interviews with 17 racialized immigrant workers, we examined immigrants’ experience of navigating different systems for access to benefits following a work injury. We specifically explore how racism and discrimination shaped their work disability experience from exploitative employer strategies that were driven by their vulnerable circumstances (e.g., language barriers), employer and workers’ compensation system practices that were used to disempower workers and complicated their return to work, as well as the perceived differences in treatment that workers described when compared to their Canadian-born counterparts.
Bio:
Dr. Sonja Senthanar is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC. Her program of research examines the work and health inequities of workers who experience conditions of marginalization including immigrant and racialized workers, precarious workers, geographically isolated workers and at the intersections of sex and gender of these groups. Particularly, she examines systemic challenges to securing safe and decent work, work disability and compensation system experience following a work-related injury/illness, and how these relationships change within the context of new forms of work. She obtained her PhD in Public Health at the University of Waterloo in 2019 where her dissertation explored the employment integration experience of Syrian refugee women using a feminist grounded approach.
April 16th 10AM-12PM
Heather Scott Marshall
April 9th 10AM-12PM
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic
TBIW Tuesday April 2 Gathering – 40 years of activism
Greetings,
On Tuesday April 2nd, we celebrate 40 years of activism with the Thunder Bay & Dist. Injured Workers Support Group (TBIW) with two special events:
10 AM – on zoom
We will share some of the history of the TBIW from the early days in the 1980’s, include some of the many memories, what we have done (and continue to do), how we work together and some connections into our community.
We will then bring us into 2024 with our part of the ONIWG Community Outreach Initiative, reflecting on our Community Meeting on Feb 1st and share some of the ideas for more community gatherings across Ontario.
Ad
SM
TBIW Tuesday April 2 Gathering – 40 years of actvism
12:31 PM
Greetings, On Tuesday April 2nd, we celebrate 40 years of activism with the Thunder Bay & Dist. Injured Workers Support Group (TBIW) with two special events: 10 AM – on zoom We will share some of the history of the TBIW from the early days in the 1
SM
Steve Mantis
TBIW Tuesday April 2 Gathering – 40 years of actvism
12:19 PM
Greetings, On Tuesday April 2nd, we celebrate 40 years of activism with the Thunder Bay & Dist. Injured Workers Support Group (TBIW) with two special events: 10 AM – on zoom We will share some of the history of the TBIW from the early days in the 1
BW
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Your Monthly Account Summary Is Here!
11:59 AM
Make the Most of Your Bonus Club Membership Current Status: Certificates Available: Active Member Since: Thursday, December 08, 2022 Available Points: 0.0 Points Until Next Certificate: 100.0 Upcoming Events: Play Bingo Make The Most Of Your Memb
N
TBIW Tuesday April 2 Gathering – 40 years of actvism
Steve MantisTo:
Steve Mantis
Mon 2024-04-01 12:31 PM
agenda – Feb 1
DOCX22 KB
Outreach Meeting (Feb 1, 202…
DOCX124 KB
Some history
DOC70 KB
AGENDA
DOCX20 KB
AGM – Agenda – 2023 held Apr…
DOCX27 KB
AGM Meeting Minutes- Nov. 7…
DOCX51 KB
Agenda – April 2, 2024 (2)
DOCX27 KB
Meeting Minutes – Mar. 2024
DOCX71 KB
8 attachments (413 KB)
Greetings,
On Tuesday April 2nd, we celebrate 40 years of activism with the Thunder Bay & Dist. Injured Workers Support Group (TBIW) with two special events:
10 AM – on zoom
We will share some of the history of the TBIW from the early days in the 1980’s, include some of the many memories, what we have done (and continue to do), how we work together and some connections into our community.
We will then bring us into 2024 with our part of the ONIWG Community Outreach Initiative, reflecting on our Community Meeting on Feb 1st and share some of the ideas for more community gatherings across Ontario. (see attached files)
6:30 PM – hybrid, in person and on zoom
The TBIW Annual General Meeting – please see below for more information.
Everyone welcome!
All the best,
Steve
Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: TBIWSG Tuesday Group Session
Time: April 2, 2024 10:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Every week on Tue, until Jun 25, 2024, 17 occurrence(s)
Apr 2, 2024 10:00 AM
Apr 9, 2024 10:00 AM
Apr 16, 2024 10:00 AM
Apr 23, 2024 10:00 AM
Apr 30, 2024 10:00 AM
May 7, 2024 10:00 AM
May 14, 2024 10:00 AM
May 21, 2024 10:00 AM
May 28, 2024 10:00 AM
Jun 4, 2024 10:00 AM
Jun 11, 2024 10:00 AM
Jun 18, 2024 10:00 AM
Jun 25, 2024 10:00 AM
Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.
Weekly: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/tZMvc-urqj8jGdx8oLoHDzafdC6pa3403u5T/ics?icsToken=98tyKuGvrD8oGdCRuRqPRpwEAI-ga-nwiClEjadFxBDJDAh3eALwMsEUIrMsRIiD
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87242344938?pwd=WWlMK2UvYXB3ek5LUS9tUmk3cWs0Zz09
Meeting ID: 872 4234 4938
Passcode: 162521
——————————————-
Our Thunder Bay & Dist. Injured Workers Support Group AGM and Board meeting will be held this coming Tuesday April 2nd at 6:30 pm.
Attached please find the agenda for the AGM and the minutes of the last AGM (Nov. 2022) and the Agenda for the April Board meeting and the minutes of our March Board meeting.
The AGM will begin at 6:30 pm followed by a short celebration of our 40th anniversary and then the April Board meeting.
PLEASE NOTE:THE MEETINGS WILL BE HELD IN PERSON AT THE OPSEU OFFICE AT 326 MEMORIAL AVE (beside the Merla-Mae restaurant) AND ON ZOOM FOR THOSE WHO ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND IN PERSON.
Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: TBDIWSG AGM & Board Meeting – Recognizing our 40th Anniversary
Time: Apr 2, 2024 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 811 1048 2545
Passcode: 086201
Please try to come out and join us.
Thanks.
March 26 10AM-12PM
Self-employed Personal Care Workers and Occupational Health Conditions
Pam Hopwood is a PhD student supervised by Dr. Ellen MacEachen at the University of Waterloo.
Self-employed Personal Care workers: My thesis research is focused on self-employed women performing personal care work, who use websites or apps to find jobs. As self-employed workers, these women are not automatically covered by workers’ compensation – yet “Assisting occupations in support of health services” have some of the highest injury rates and lost-time claims in the province. I will share early findings from interviews with 20 women who were self-employed and performed personal care work, focusing on their occupational health and work conditions and their perspectives of risk.
After the presentation the group will be invited to ask questions or comment on the presentation, including sharing thoughts on workers’ compensation coverage and other occupational health considerations, the increasing prevalence of self-employment, and the role of the health care workforce in an aging population.
March 19 – 10AM – 12PM
Int. Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job
As you know, April 28th is the
Int. Day of Mourning for Workers Killed or Injured on the Job. As we approach this year’s events, we will explore how injured workers are involved in the ceremonies taking place around the province and how we can use the opportunity to build to June 1st, Injured Workers’ Day (and beyond).
As you may know, at the OFL Convention last November, they passed a resolution to support June 1st big time this year.
Join in to hear what others are doing and share some of your thoughts.
March 12 10AM-12PM
How best to reach out to injured workers, families, and allies?
The ONIWIG outreach committee will consult on the upcoming series of community meetings across Ontario. We’ll explore how best to reach out to injured workers, families, and allies, and how to make the outreach successful (led by Kathrin Furniss and Wayne Harris)
As well, David Newberry will lead a session on medical evidence and the appeals process.
March 5th 2024 10AM-12PM
This week we welcome Lauren Reynolds, part of the research team at Lakehead University in partnership with the Canadian Injured Workers Alliance, exploring the effects of stigma for injured and ill workers.
Please see the article below from the Chronicle Journal on the project.
Exploring the stigma faced by injured workers
Greetings,
In recognition of International RSI Day (Feb 28/29) we want to hear from you about your experiences with repetitive strain injury.
Were you exposed to repetitive tasks at work? Did your workplace injury lead to further injuries? How have you dealt with RSI?
Join us on Tuesday February 27th at 10 am to share your experiences and hear from others.
Feb. 20 – Kevin Hedges, occupational hygienist working with OHCOW will be presenting.
Feb. 13 – Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic will be presenting.
Feb. 6 – the Occupational Disease Reform Alliance (ODRA) will be presenting.
Our next session on Tuesday January 30 will be – Community Building as part of Research Partnerships. Guest speakers – Marion Endicott & Steve Mantis
A new book – Who Killed Sir William?
In 1910, Sir William Meredith led a Royal Commission to investigate the injury, death, and permanent disability of workers. In response to his findings, Meredith helped introduce a new system of compensation for injured and disabled workers that emphasized their rights and well-being. But today, Sir William’s principles appear to be dead: injured and disabled workers often end up living in poverty and are viewed with stigma by those who should be providing them with service.
What happened? How can we find out the experiences and needs of injured and disabled workers, and how can the necessary changes be put into action?
To answer such questions, the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury (RAACWI), a community-based research initiative that brought advocates, injured workers, and academics together, was formed. Who Killed Sir William? Provides an engaging look at RAACWI’s eight years of groundbreaking work and what a successful community-academia partnership looks like to inform and inspire.
Below is the zoom link.
Join in! Everyone welcome.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87242344938?pwd=WWlMK2UvYXB3ek5LUS9tUmk3cWs0Zz09
contact us at tbiwsg@gmail.com for more information
Our next online session will be on Tuesday January 23 at 10 AM ET. Dorothy Wigmore will be our guest speaker. Dorothy is a long-time health and safety activist and a former injured worker. She’s trained and worked as an occupational hygienist, ergonomist and stress specialist.
Tuesday’s Topic: Cleaning — and disinfecting when necessary — should not harm people. Too many products do. You’ll find out about the possible health effects and the good options available, whether the products are used in workplaces, homes or the community. Bring examples of specific products that we can check out.
Dorothy Wigmore is a long-time health and safety activist and a former injured worker. She’s trained and worked as an occupational hygienist, ergonomist and stress specialist — all of which means she’s committed to protecting workers from job-related health hazards. She’s used that training in Canada, the US and Mozambique, working in a variety of organisations.
During the pandemic, Dorothy’s done a lot of work about “transmission truth” — the virus is in the air, so that’s what we need to clean. As a result, she rants regularly about the public health mantras to “wash your hands” and “clean and disinfect frequently-touched surfaces”, and talks about the hazards that go with those recommendations.
These days, she lives in Kingston Ontario and works on contract with the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW) on their projects about temporary foreign workers and rubber workers.
January 16th, 2024 10AM-12PM
Our Zoom gathering on Tuesday January 16 at 10 AM ET will be a tribute to Ron Ellis led by our friends at IWC and Alec Farquhar.
Ron died in December 2023.
At this Tuesday session, we’ll discuss Ron’s contribution to justice for injured workers and how best to carry his vision forward.
· Prior to 1985, all appeals of WCB decisions were heard by Appeals Commissioners within the WCB. This meant that there was no recourse for injured workers outside WCB. One of the main demands raised by the injured worker movement during the 1970s and early 1980s was for the right of appeal to an independent appeals tribunal.
· In 1985, the Bill 101 amendments created the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Tribunal (WCAT). Ron Ellis was appointed as the founding Chair.
· Ron believed that injured workers had the right to a high quality, independent review of their cases. He created a tribunal that strived to do this. When he stood up for WCAT against appointments decisions made by the Mike Harris government in 1997, he was replaced as Chair. After that, he dedicated himself to the struggle for truly independent and expert tribunals in Ontario, including his activism with Tribunal Watch Ontario.
January 9th 10AM-12PM
We are excited to bring you our first zoom session of the year on Tuesday January 9 at 10 AM ET.
Our focus will be on Community Building and Community Actions. Your thoughts, hopes and dreams are welcome.
Join in! Everyone welcome.
All the best for 2024.
December 19th 10AM-12PM.
We are excited to bring you our last zoom session of the year on Tuesday December 19 at 10 AM.
Our focus will be on Community Building and Community Actions. Your thoughts, hopes and dreams are welcome.
Join in! Everyone welcome.
Best of the season to you all!
December 12th 10AM-12PM
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic will lead this week’s session including:
1) Update on Bill 149: super cost of living protection or super political hype?
2) Skit on “compensationese language”
3) Report back from December 11 actions/demonstrations (Windsor, Thunder Bay, Toronto)
4) New year resolutions – “add yours today”
December 5th 10AM-12PM
Our focus is on Local Organizing. ONIWG in partnership with ODRA has created a plan to do community outreach meetings in 25 cities over the next 2 years to involve more injured and ill workers, their families and our allies. We will hear more on the plan and then hear from folks in Windsor who will pilot the first community meeting next week.
And we will continue the discussions around our provincial Day of Action taking place Monday, December 11th.
November 28th 10AM-12PM Claims Suppression in Ontario. An ONIWG committee has been meeting with the WSIB for over a year to raise the issue of claims suppression and learn how they deal with it. As part of our committee, Stephanie Premji from McMaster Univ. is starting a research project to continue understanding workers’ experiences with claims suppression and then moving to action.
November 21st 2023 10AM-12PM. Poverty of injured workers after retirement. Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic will focus on what happens after aged 65. Special guest Prof. Ellen MacEachen will share some of the finding from her recent research on this issue.
November 14th 2023 10AM-12PM
A focus on organizing. Using the recent presentation by Marshall Ganz, we will engage participants in sharing their experiences with organizing around “Justice for Injured Workers”. Below is a link to the video of the presentation by Marshall Ganz.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzPQ7OnyB3I&t=28s
November 7th, 2023 10AM-12PM Presenter:
Lynn Cooper
Director of Research and Education for the Canadian Injured Workers Alliance
This presentation will include a discussion about:
– Chronic pain and how it can impact your life.
– Recognizing the stigma experienced by injured workers living with chronic pain.
– Creating your pain management plan.
– Resources, including the Power Over Pain Portal, that can help you learn about your pain and manage it more effectively to support you in living your best life.
The presentation will be followed by questions, answers, sharing and discussion.
October 31st 2023 10AM-12PM
We have a special event planned for Tuesday October 31st at 10 AM ET to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Sir William’s Report to the Ontario legislature.
A Serious Anniversary on Halloween: 110 years of workers’ compensation law
On October 31st, while our children and grandchildren trick or treat, injured and ill workers will be remembering Chief Justice William Meredith’s report to the Ontario Legislature that created our workers’ compensation system. This was the first piece of social legislature, preceding Medicare, Unemployment Insurance, social security, and other progressive measures. We remember with pride and mourn the fact that very sadly, the tide has turned against us today. Meredith tabled his report on October 31, 1913.
More in the attachment.
We have a special event planned for Tuesday October 31st at 10 AM ET to celebrate the 110th anniversary of Sir William’s Report to the Ontario legislature.
A Serious Anniversary on Halloween: 110 years of workers’ compensation law
On October 31st, while our children and grandchildren trick or treat, injured and ill workers will be remembering Chief Justice William Meredith’s report to the Ontario Legislature that created our workers’ compensation system. This was the first piece of social legislature, preceding Medicare, Unemployment Insurance, social security, and other progressive measures. We remember with pride and mourn the fact that very sadly, the tide has turned against us today. Meredith tabled his report on October 31, 1913.
More in the attachment.
October 24th 2023 10AM-12PM Andrew Bome, Staff Lawyer at the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic will be our guest speaker on a fair hearing process at the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), the failure of the WSIB to deliver a fair hearing process and how this all ties in to the recent consultation on the hearing process at the WSIB.
October 17th 2023 10AM-12PM Our weekly Zoom session will focus on what happens to injured workers in retirement age when they have been receiving workers compensation benefits. This session follows up from the research presented to the zoom session last May by Prof. Ellen MacEachen on retirement pension poverty among injured workers.
Karl Crevar from ONIWG and John McKinnon and Orlando Buonastella from Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic will identify some of the legislation and policies that lead to poverty among pension age injured workers and discuss the steps we could take to address this injustice.
October 10th 2023 10AM-12PM -Via Zoom WSIB & KPMG: a toxic combination for injured workers with Andy LaDouceur, United Steelworkers District 6WSIB & KPMG: a toxic combination for injured workers with Andy LaDouceur, United Steelworkers District 6
October 3rd 2023 10AM-12PM – Via Zoom Traumatic Mental Stress Guest Speaker Eric DePoe
Eric DePoe recently won an important WSIAT decision on Traumatic Mental Stress. It may change the landscape for mental stress claims and also opens a new avenue for Chronic Mental Stress claims. This is Decision 1741/21, which is attached for your information.
Please join us on Tuesday October 3rd at 10 AM ET to hear directly from Eric and find out more.
September 26 – 10AM – 12PM ET – Via Zoom.
Lissa Beaulieu will be our guide looking at social media and how we can advance our issues using various social media platforms.
Kevin Jones will be providing insight on his experiences with Activism.
September 19 – 10AM-12PM – Via Zoom
How to file a Freedom of Information Request. Chris Grawey will take us thru the process looking at the recently released 2022 Annual Report from the WSIB. Attached is the report. Take a look in advance of the session if possible.
Our regular Tuesday morning sessions starting on Tuesday September 12 at 10 am ET. Via Zoom
September 12 – Meet and Greet – catch up from the summer
Each session will wrap up with a focus on how we can take action on the topics of discussion.
We are eager to hear any thoughts for guest speakers and topics to cover this Fall.
Tuesday, June 13th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Mike Schreiner, leader of the Ontario Green Party will discuss the Green Party’s position on the WSIB
Tuesday, June 6th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Lissa Beaulieu will lead us in social media techniques
Tuesday, May 30th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
We are doing a special session “#InjuredWorkersDay – Past and Present.” Our guest will be from the ontario Network ofInjured Workers Groups and the Injured Workers /community Legal Clinic. We are building up to June 1st, Injured Worker Day.
Some of the #40Years40Stories have been shared at these links:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGTbIqlOl6iZNfEFeeWQkG3ts1qQrPAFD
https://injuredworkersorganize.ca
Everyone welcome. Please join us tomorrow and bring your families as well.
Check out our webpage and facebook for regular updates.
Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Ian Thompson, a member of the WSIAT who will talk about the workings of the WSIAT
Tuesday, May 16th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Injured Workers and their family members share their stories.
Tuesday, May 9th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Orlando Buonastella & John McKinnon from IWC will be our guest speakers. Topics will include:
1) Update on KPMG/WSIB attack on appeal rights: complaint to Ombudsman, skit by Malingerers, appeal to send messages to Ombudsman.
2) Preparation for IW day: John McKinnon for Toronto events update, + update the Thunder Bay events?
Tuesday, May 2nd, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Our guest will be MPP Lise Vaugeois – NDP – WSIB & Injured Worker critic in the Ontario Parliament. Lise will share some of the priorities of the official opposition and explore how we can work together to improve the lives of workers in Ontario and beyond.
Tuesday, April 25th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Guest Speaker: Jamie West MPP for Sudbury, NDP Labour Critic
Jamie will share some of the priorities of the official opposition and explore how we can work together to improve the lives of workers in Ontario and beyond.
Tuesday, April 18th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Do you know what may happen at the WSIB Appeals level? WSIB is planning big changes in the appeal process that can make it harder for workers to achieve their rights.
Join us this Tuesday, April 18th at 10 AM to learn more and to learn what you can do about it.
Thunder Bay Injured Workers is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Tuesday, April 11th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
As part of the series of sessions on the second Tuesday of each month hosted by Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic (IWC), our guest will be Professor Emeritus Robert Storey, recently retired from the School of Labour Studies at McMaster U. Robert has studied Workers Compensation and the Injured Workers Movement for over two decades and will share some of his thoughts with a view of building for the future.
Tuesday, April 4th, 2023 at 10:00 AM- 12:00 PM
Guest Speaker: Sean McFarling
Greetings
This Tuesday, April 4th at 10 AM, we welcome Sean McFarling, General Counsel, LiUNA (Labourers Union) and worker representative on the Ontario WSIB Board of Directors.
Sean will speak about:
- Intro (both as a lawyer and WSIB Board member)
- Balancing fiduciary duty as a board member vs. being an advocate for workers rights – (both the limits and advantages from my experience)
- Examples: Surplus distribution, Durations, Claim Suppression & Health and Safety Initiatives.
- Concluding thoughts on Systemic Issues
Tuesday, March 28th, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Guest Speaker Vicki Kristman – EPID@Work
Dr. Vicki Kristman will present some preliminary thoughts for a new study titled the “Northwestern Ontario Workplace and Worker Health Study” with the objective of understanding health, particularly mental health, and associated factors in order to develop and test workplace interventions. She is seeking input on what factors to measure that would provide important information for workplaces and workers. In particular, she would like to hear what injured workers consider important and helpful information to collect for an injured worker specific part of the study that may be used to maintain or improve injured workers’ mental health.
Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 at 10:00 AM – 12:00PM
Greetings
This Tuesday, March 21st at 10 AM, we welcome Janice Folk-Dawson, Executive Vice President of the OFL, to speak to issues that impact injured and ill workers. Below is the zoom invite.
Everyone welcome.
Tuesday, March 14th, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Orlando Buonastella and Ellen MacEachen will talk about the situation of injured workers in their retirement years (age 65+). MacEachen will share recent research on the WSIB’s “Loss of Retirement Income” plan, the logic that prompted this plan and some of the consequences of it for workers. Buonastella will provide comments how the WSIB’s Loss of Retirement Income plan affects other benefits and share some broader reflections on the big picture, including whether this retirement plan fits into principles of just compensation.
Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 at 10:00AM
“Research in the field of occupational health has consistently found evidence of racial inequities, with workers of colour facing more frequent, severe, and disabling injury and illness when compared to white workers. In this presentation, Dr. Arif Jetha and Dr. Faraz Vahid Shahidi from the Instittue for Work & Health describe findings from a recent systematic review of literature examining racial inequities in the return-to-work (RTW) process. They synthesize existing evidence which has focused on racial and ethnic inequities in the re-integration of injured or ill workers. They also discuss opportunities to address obstacles faced by workers of colour in RTW and provide recommendations for future research.”
Arif Jetha PhD
Scientist, Institute for Work & Health
Associate Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
Tuesday, February 28th, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Greetings,
Our next Tuesday Morning session will be at 10 am on February 28th. The Session is Human Rights for Injured Workers.
Topics include:
· Overview of the Ontario Human Rights Code
· Current dysfunction of the Human Rights Tribunal
· Accommodation of disability under the Code
· How the Code is different from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act when injured workers return to work
· Does the Code apply to decisions and actions of the WSIB?
Guest Speaker Brian Cook is a former Vice-Chair of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Tribunal and the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. Before his work as an adjudicator, he worked in the legal clinic system representing injured workers. He is currently the Co-ordinator of Tribunal Watch Ontario.
Everyone is welcome.
Please contact us at tbiwsg@gmail.com for more information
Tuesday, February 21st, 2023 at 10:00 AM
What are the factors that influence the process of rehabilitation for older workers?
Our guest speaker will be Jessika Audet. She is an occupational therapist who has been involved in the rehabilitation, return, and stay at work process of workers having suffered an occupational injury for more than 12 years. She is currently working on her doctorates project concerning the rehabilitation, return, and stay at work process of aging workers, under the directorial supervision of Alexandra Lecours, OT, PhD, at the University of Québec at Trois-Rivières (UQTR).”
Considering the current labor shortage, aging and experienced workers are an important resource. However, when aging workers suffer an occupational injury, the duration of disability and the difficulty in returning to work increase with age. This begs to question, what are the factors that influence the process of rehabilitation, return, and stay at work of aging workers who have suffered an occupational injury?
Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Thunder Bay Injured Workers Tuesday Session Via Zoom
We have Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal joining us to talk more about the Immigrant / Migrant Workers Issues.
He is active with the Migrant Alliance and personal experience fighting for his rights in Canada.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please contact us at tbiwsg@gmail.com for more information
Tuesday, January 24th, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Emmanuelle Lopez – Bastos, Human Rights, Equity & Diversity Coordinator
UFCW Canada – United Food and Commercial Workers Union
Strengthening Disability Inclusive Workplaces Through a Union Approach
Results from the 2022 UFCW Canada Union Membership Questionnaire on Disability Inclusion
Tuesday, January 17th, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Anne Hudson – School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
Framing the Care of Injured Workers : An Empirical Four-Jurisdictional Compassion of Workers Compensation Boards Healthcare Policies
The objective of this study was to explore how workers compensation policies related to healthcare provision for workers with musculoskeletal injuries can affect the delivery and trajectories of care for injured workers. The principal research question was : What are the different ways in which workers compensation (WC) policies inform and transform the practices of healthcare providers (HCPs) caring for Injured Workers?
TUESDAY, January 10th, 2023 at 10:00 AM
Our first Tuesdays Injured Worker Session for the New Year will be led by IWC and Group. We will reflect on the past years issues and happening as we move into 2023! We look forward to seeing everyone!
TUESDAY, June 21, 10-12:
Our guest this week is Randy Robinson, Ontario director for the Canadian Centre for Policy and Alternatives (CCPA). Randy will be speaking on the economics of poverty and the impact of the re-election of Doug Ford for those in poverty.
TUESDAY, June 14, 10-12:
Our guests this week are Chris Grawey and Kathrin Furniss from IWC. They will talk to us about Temporary Employment Agency rate setting at the WSIB. Temp Agencies have long been problematic, often paying lower WSIB rates than the companies where they send workers. This creates an incentive to contract out dangerous work, among other problems. There is a consultation happening now where we can push for some long needed changes. Join us to talk about it!
TUESDAY, MAY 24, 10-12:
Our guest speaker this week is David Newberry from IWC who will be teaching us tips with using social media. He will be giving us some hands-on practice with some exercises. Everyone is welcome!
TUESDAY, MAY 17, 10-12:
Guests Monia Kosciejew and Jody Jones.
The Ontario Federation of Labour’s project, “Prevention Link” began as the WCB Training Project in 1990. It has undergone a few name changes in the last 30+ years, but what hasn’t changed is our goal of improving the well-being of Ontario’s most vulnerable workers, including injured workers, young workers and those that are new to working in Ontario.
We will be joining you today to discuss the training that we typically do in person, show you how we’ve adapted it for online learning and to offer the ONIWG group the opportunity to participate in our online workshop, “Principles of Accommodation Law”.
TUESDAY, MAY 3, 10-12: Our guest speaker this week is Fred Hahn, President of CUPE Ontario.
TUESDAY, APR 26, 10-12: Jim Brophy and Margaret Keith have written a book about violence in the healthcare workplaces and will be speaking to it tomorrow.
TUESDAY, APR 19, 10-12: Melissa Palermo (Director of Communications) and Natasha Luckhardt (Director of Health, Safety and Environment) from the Ontario Federation of Labour will lead a dynamic and interactive workshop on how to tell and amplify your story to compel change around health and safety and workplace injury or disease.
TUESDAY, APR 12, 10-12:
Our guest is Orlando’s hero, Lois Cromarty, who works for a sister legal clinic (Northumberland Community Legal Clinic) and is one of the most knowledgeable worker reps in the Province. Also a long-time supporter of ONIWG and the IW movement. She recently received the prestigious Sydney Linden award. (She is probably blushing by now…)
“I have a lot of beefs with the current WSIB administration and “case management” systems, let alone the benefits system(s) as a whole. Would the group want to hear my top ten list of problems – even if I have few answers or solutions beside the usual lobbying route – on such oldies but goodies as:
- The Objection Intake process/gatekeeping
- The older injured worker who gets their LRI as a lump sum (or retroactive award from an appeal) which affects their OAS/GIS, and in some cases their spouse’s OAS and that takes 2+ years to get caught back up
- The split up decision-making where the case manager shuffles stuff off for others to decide
- Narrow focus adjudication and loss of look to grant adjudication principles
- Return to work
- Deeming in a down (or pandemic) economy
- Don’t get me started……”
TUESDAY, APR 5, 10-12: Open Discussion
TUESDAY, MAR 29, 10-12: Our guest speaker, Fred Hahn, cancelled last minute so we will be looking at May Day, Day of Mourning and the upcoming election.
TUESDAY, MAR 22, 10-12: The guest speaker this week is Sharon Bak, a volunteer first responder, is the Northern operations manager for Boots on the Ground, a mental health program for first responders, is there to assist them with mental health and emotional issues that they face in the line of work.
TUESDAY, MAR 15, 10-12: This week’s guests are Andrew Mawdryk and Arpan Brar, Pro Bono students from Lakehead University’s Law School. They will be presenting on the RB4 Project at Dryden that they have been working on with the RB4 Committee and OHCOW. We look forward to seeing you there!4 case
TUESDAY, MAR 8, 10-12: This week, Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic will be leading the session and Tebasum Durrani from Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic will present on the WSIB policy discussions on the opioid pandemic in Ontario & Canada and how the WSIB policy and practices may have unintended consequences for workers in the workplace.
TUESDAY, MAR 1, 10-12: Taylor Demetrioff & Ken Porter: Mood Disorder Society of Canada
TUESDAY, FEB 22, 10-12: This week’s presentation, with guest speaker Stephanie Premjie and a member of the South Asian Women’s Rights Organization (SAWRO), will focus on the work, health and return-to-work experiences of Toronto Bangladeshi workers.
TUESDAY, FEB 15, 10-12: MPP Michael Gravelle
TUESDAY, FEB 8, 10-12: Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic with an analysis on the WSIB Annual Report. Powerpoint Presentation is attached below.
TUESDAY, FEB 1, 10-12:
Feb. 1st – MPP Judith Monteith Farrell – How we can participate in Public Policy Reform
TUESDAY, JAN 25, 10-12:
Our guest speaker, Ellen MacEachen, will present findings from 2 recent Ontario-based qualitative studies focused on how low wage and digital platform workers experience and managed occupational risk during COVID-19. She will also discuss recommendations for improvement.
TUESDAY, JAN 18, 10-12:
Our guest speakers Prof Deb Scharf and associates Joshua and Chelsea from Lakehead University will be speaking to the mental health issues for injured workers in NW Ontario. They competed a project with IWC and the TBDIWSG on the mental health experiences of injured workers in Northwestern Ontario. Attached is a plain language summary from the project.
TUESDAY, JAN 11, 10-12:
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic: Our session this week is with John McKinnon and Marion Endicott, “1000 Days Without a Lost Time Accident – and other corporate myths”. They will be talking about experience rating in setting employer workers compensation assessment rates.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 5, 10-12:
Examining the Platform for Change document. It lays out a worker-centred vision for the workers compensation system. We will be discussing strategies for getting the document distributed widely for the greatest impact! SEE DEC. 7, BELOW, FOR A COPY OF THE FINAL DRAFT OF THE PLATFORM FOR CHANGE.
TUESDAY, DEC 14, 10-12: 30th Anniversary ONIWG Christmas Demonstration: “Fighting Against More Gifts to Employers”
10am: Injured Worker Community Forum
11am: Online Rally with Speakers & Performers
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82744636592?pwd=MCtNUTRzdFVGSVdJQXNpU0lhdEFidz09
TUESDAY, DEC 7, 10-12:
We will be looking at the final draft of the Platform for Change. This updated version of the Platform has undergone months of reviews and is now ready to go. It lays out a worker-centred vision for the workers compensation system. A copy is available for download below:
TUESDAY, NOV 23, 10-12:
We are going to collectively look at the actions that injured workers took regarding Bill 27 and then we will discuss future steps, specifically how we can bring forward our issues to the political parties in anticipation of the summer election.
TUESDAY, NOV16, 10-12:
The Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic (IWC) is hosting. Alec Farquhar and Sue James of the Occupational Disease Reform Alliance (ODRA) will speak to the rewards and challenges of organizing for occupational disease. Jules Tupker and Eugene Lefrancois will speak to Dryden cluster issues and solidarity from the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG). We will also give time for a brief update from Bill 27 hearings.
TUESDAY, N0V. 2: 10-12: Duty to Accommodate People with Disabilities. David Lepotfsky will be joining us.
An Introduction to the Duty to Accommodate People with Disabilities”
The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y32XvjWmDAQ
Here are links to key topics in the video:
1. Introduction and Overview 00:00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeKQHuxP9XU
2. Where does the Duty to Accommodate Come From? 2:27 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=147
3. Who Must Accommodate People with Disabilities? Who Has the Duty to Accommodate? 5:12 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=312
4. What is the Purpose of the Duty to Accommodate? 8:25 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=504
5. What are the Benefits of Fulfilling the Duty to Accommodate? 11:15 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=675
6. What Disabilities are Included within the Duty to Accommodate? 15:40 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=941
7. Examples of Accommodations that Can be Required 17:26
8. What is the Content of the Duty to Accommodate? What Must an Organization Do? 26:05 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=1565
9. Some Red Herrings We Can Eliminate from Discussion About the Duty to Accommodate 34:05 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=2045
10. When Does the Duty to Accommodate Arise? 35:25 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=2125
11. When, If Ever, Can You Ask a Person, Requesting Accommodation, for Medical Documentation of Their Disability? 37:50 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=2270
12 The Undue Hardship Defence – General Principles 39:33 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=2373
13. When Can the Cost of Accommodation Justify a Failure to Accommodate? 49:14 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=2954
14. When Can Health and Safety Considerations Justify a Refusal to Accommodate? 57:42 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=3461
15. Can the Failure to Accommodate Be Defended on the Basis that It Adversely Affects the Morale of Other Workers? 59:10 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=3546
16. How Does the Duty to Accommodate Apply to Trade Unions and Collective Agreements? 1:00:49 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=3649
17. What Happens if Fulfillment of the Duty to Accommodate May Conflict with Other Rights of Other People? 1:03:48 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=3829
18. A Short, Punchy List of Defences or Arguments that Cannot Justify a Failure to Accommodate 1:06:56 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=4016
19. Concluding Thoughts 1:11:18 https://youtu.be/y32XvjWmDAQ?t=4282
TUESDAY, OCT. 26, 10-12: Becky Casey, Peri Ballantyne, Pat Vienneau – Aging with a Disability.
“What does ‘Retirement’ look like for WSIB Claimants with Permanent Disabilities ”
We compare two groups of WSIB claimants with long-term permanent impairments who describe themselves as retired – those who voluntarily retired and those who involuntarily retired. We show how those who involuntarily retired are much younger, in worse health, and will likely face financial challenges as they get older. We will discuss what might happen to the financial situation of these injured workers when they turn 65. Data are from the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury (RAACWI) 10-year follow up survey.
TUESDAY, OCT. 19, 10-12: Patty Coates – President – Ontario Federation of Labour
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 10-12:
Jody Brown, a lawyer with Goldblatt Partners, will be talking about a proposed class action based on the dangerous promotion and sale of OxyContin on behalf of people who were prescribed OxyContin. They are looking for an individual who took OxyContin at anytime from 2007 to the present and developed a dependency who is willing to be a representative plaintiff for people who took OxyContin.TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 10-12 AM
Karen Messing – Professor – University of Quebec at Montreal – Author of Bent Out of Shape: Shame, Solidarity and Women’s Bodies at Work
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2021: 10-12
Sue James and members from the Occupational Disease Reform Alliance. The focus for this session will be on the highs and lows of building an alliance/coalition and look at the building blocks and how it comes about and most importantly the emotional toll it can take on activists and advocates to promote change.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 @ 7:30 PM
Special session with guests/union activists from Australia who will update us on how Workers’ Compensation functions down under. This will include information on the self insurance model used by big corporations and the Rozen Independent Review into the Victoria Workers Compensation System.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2021: 10-12
Mahboob, the co-founder of PilotMind and Jaisa Sulit the co-teacher of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) will be joining us to give an hour presentation of what Mindfulness and Mindful Self-Compassion is about. This will help a person to navigate their attention through difficult and stressful times, to be in a wiser relation with their anxiety and depression.
TUESDAY, JULY 20: 10-12
This Tuesday we will try to address the comments that have been made over the past few weeks that we need to expand our reach and we need give injured workers the ability to speak up. We have Ryan Sigurdson, the facilitator of the New Directions Speakers School here in Thunder Bay, to talk to us about the Speakers School and to take us through a simulated lesson or two to show how the Speakers School helps individuals gain their voice and confidence. Please join us for this informative session.
TUESDAY, JULY 13: 10-12
“Disability Trajectories Following Workplace Injury and Permanent Impairment: 10-year Follow-up to the RAACWI Injured Worker Health and Social Survey“
In this presentation, Peri Ballantyne and Becky Casey will provide an overview of the 10-year follow up survey of WSIB claimants with permanent impairments who were initially part of the RAACWI injured worker health and social survey. Data were first collected in 2008-09 with 494 injured workers with permanent impairments. In the follow up survey – conducted in 2019 – about one quarter (N=126) of the initial participants were re-interviewed and provided insights into their injury status and relationship with the WSIB, their family and social status and social integration; education, employment and income; and health/mental health. We will focus on over-time changes in each these areas, emphasizing how some injured workers have become more vulnerable over the long term. We will seek audience participation in identifying ‘what matters most’ in these workers’ longer term trajectories, and what to emphasize in future analyses and presentations of this work. Peri Ballantyne, professor of Sociology at Trent University and Becky Casey, professor of Sociology at Acadia University, both with long-time interest in injured worker outcomes in Ontario, will cover a bit of background on the original RAACWI survey and now the follow up after 10 years.
TUESDAY, JULY 6: 10-12 Guest speaker: Diana Prairie MSW RSW, Supervisor Counselling & Psychotherapy Services, Thunder Bay Counselling
Diana has been a practising social worker in our community for thirty years. The areas of practice have focused on depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief, sexual assault and abuse, intimate partner violence, self-care, compassion fatigue, moral distress, conflict resolution, and other related mental health concerns.
TUESDAY, JUNE 29: 10-12 Our guest will be Janice Folk-Dawson, Executive Vice President of Ontario Federation of Labour. Janice has been a unionized public sector worker for 44 years. First with Newfoundland Association of Public Employees (NAPE) in Labrador with Dept of Social Services and since 1986 with Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) at the University of Guelph.
She was president of the Guelph & District Labour Council, Chair of CUPE Ontario University Workers and President of CUPE 1334 before becoming Executive Vice President of the OFL in 2019.
Janice was injuried in 1995 and today wants to share her story, and talk about the impact being injuried in the work place had on her career and social life and the gaps that exist in supporting injuried workers in our unions and society. Janice is a working class feminist who roots herself and her actions in the principles of peace, equity & solidarity. Having suffered a workplace injury in 1995, Janice has also been a tireless advocate for the rights of injured workers. Janice has also been active with numerous allies and campaigns including $15 & Fairness, Six Nations and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council, Wellington Water Watchers, United Against Racism, the NDP and the Council of Canadians. Janice was also a co-founder of the We Are Guelph organization, formed to maximize progressive representation in the municipal elections.
TUESDAY, JUNE 15: 10-12
IWC staff, Kathrin, John and Orlando will do an educational (“refresher”) on Universal Coverage and current issues. There will be a special recognition of the work that Maryam Nazemi has done in the fight for Universal Coverage.
TUESDAY, JUNE 8: 10-12
What do you think you can do to move towards change?
Thunder Bay Injured Workers is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. We have had a variety of speakers over the past one year plus and a focus has been how can we encourage the powers to be to have a fairer compensation system. This is an opportunity for us to think about what we can do as individuals and / or with small groups. See you tomorrow.
TUESDAY May 25, 10:00-12:00:
Thunder Bay Injured Workers is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Bob Barnetson, Professor, Labour Relations, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Athabasca University, will be presenting on how media represents injured workers today.
TUESDAY May 18, 10:00-12:00:
This week’s guest is Cam Mustard of Institute for Work and Health and he will be speaking to what happens to injured workers 18 months post injury.
TUESDAY May 11, 2021
The Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group would like to invite you to attend a session this upcoming Tuesday with guest speakers, John McKinnon and Orlando Buonestella, IWC, who will speak to “How proposed funding rules for community legal clinics could impact injured workers”. If passed, these new rules plus upcoming changes to the OWA, will have a major effect on the plight of injured workers.
TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021
ARCH Disability Law Clinic staff lawyers, Jessica De Marinis and Mariam Shanouda, will speak about recent court decision. The decision is called Commercial Spring and Tool Company v Barrie Welding, 2021 ONSC 2591 and it is a commercial dispute that raised important issues about human rights and privacy interests of workers with disabilities. ONIWG, represented by ARCH, intervened to make submissions about these issues. Jessica and Mariam will discuss the case and talk about accommodations in the workplace.
TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 2021
What issues would you like to feature on our Tuesday sessions?
TUESDAY, APRIL 20, 2021
Everybody experiences anxiety. The good news is that there are many healthy ways that we can all learn to cope. Join clinical and health psychologist, Dr. Deborah Scharf, an Associate Professor of Psychology at Lakehead University, for an hour of education about anxiety and evidence-based coping strategies to help you get through today’s challenging times.
TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
Our guest speaker this week will be Gerry LeBlanc and Jessica Montgomery from USW who will speak to the health and safety struggles, past and present, as well as the kind of cases that they work on what they are tackling at the WSIB. This will include a look at some of the occ diseases that they are facing.
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 10:00-12:00
Al Etmanski, parent advocate for persons with disabilities and Rabia Khedr, co-chair of the Canadian Disability Alliance Initiative, will join us at 11 am until 12:30 pm. Our session will still begin at 10 am. Last fall in the Throne Speech the federal government promised to create a Canadian Disability Benefit. This is the first time any national government anywhere in the world has committed to address the poverty experienced by disabled people. In response a group of disabled people have created the Canadian Disability Benefit Initiative. Our goal is to hold our government to account and to make sure we end the poverty experienced by disabled Canadians once and for all. This presentation will discuss the 3 core actions that need to take place to make sure the disabled community takes advantage of this exciting and unprecedented opportunity.
TUESDAY MARCH 30, 10:00-12:00:
Sue James and Bob DeMatteo who will be joining us to speak to the GE Project the WSIB challenges with Occ Disease and how can we come together to implement strategies going forward. Sue shared – I worked at General Electric in Peterborough from 1974 – 2014. In Nov. of 2015 I joined the Peterborough Coalition fighting for justice for workers and families affected by multiple chemicals and carcinogens. I was a proud participant in the GE Retrospective Profiling report and now chair the newly named Peterborough Occupational Disease Action Committee (PODAC). Joining our fight here in Peterborough is the Ventra/Pebra Plastics Plant who also have put out their own retrospective profile report and were also part of the 2004 OHCOW intake clinic that was put on. Bob has many years experience in the Health & Safety field and has tirelessly given his time as an activist. He was the Health & Safety coordinator with OPSEU union and served time on the Occupational Disease Panel and sits on the board of OHCOW. Bob and his wife are now working on their 3rd Retrospective Exposure Profile Report for Neelon Castings in Sudbury after finishing the Peterborough reports of GE and Ventra/Pebra Plastics.
TUESDAY MARCH 23, 10:00-12:00:
Moses Sheppard, retired USW rep who started the campaign for lung cancer for gold miners in Timmins and went on to win around $326M for the widows and their families, will be joined by Janice Martell. They will share experiences and their lessons learned.
TUESDAY MARCH 16, 10:00-12:00:
From 2002 to 2004, over 400 construction workers were exposed to toxic fumes while adding on to the Paper Mill in Dryden Ontario. Many of these workers became ill and some have since died. Join us to find out more … Thunder Bay Injured Workers is inviting you to our scheduled Zoom meeting. Our pro bono students will be presenting their research findings on the Dryden Paper Mill Recovery Boiler#4 exposures which occurred from 2002 thru 2004.
________________________
TUESDAY MARCH 16, at 1:00 PM
We’re calling it an “End of Winter Warmup”, and it will feature greetings from ONIWG, IWC, and a handful of other injured worker groups, as well as some songs, stories, and social time.
Tuesday, Feb 23.21
Catherine Fenech, Injured worker and ONIWG Vice President for Peel Region, will be discussing how she founded International Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) Awareness Day, now in its 22th year. RSI Day is officially marked on February 29th or the last day of February each year in countries across the globe. Catherine will discuss how her struggles to get recognition, treatment, compensation and accommodation of her injuries led to an international event in the hopes to prevent others from suffering as she had. Learn how this event took off in the days before social media when computers were less common than they are today and what lessons it offers for organizing today.
Tuesday, October 13, IW session at 10 am:
With guests from the Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic – “WSIB benefits and services, why should they be semi- secret?”
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic staff, Orlando Buonastella, Rebecca Lok and David Newberry, will lead our injured workers session on Tuesday, October 13th. We will look at benefits and services that some injured workers may not know about, such as maintenance therapy, clothing allowances, travel allowances, interpretation services and entitlement to re-assessments when the injury gets worse. Below is a link that you can take a look at.
https://www.wsib.ca/en/document/maintenance-treatment-april-2015
Tuesday, October 5, IW session at 10 am.
Dorothy Wigmore, Occupational health specialist (hygiene, ergonomics, “stress”), researcher, educator, writer/editor and Jim Littleford, electrician at Recovery Boiler # 4 at Dryden mill will be our guest speakers for this Tuesday’s session. We will look at how body mapping can be used to define clusters, etc. We look forward to seeing you there.
Bio of Dorothy Wigmore:
Dorothy Wigmore, Occupational health specialist (hygiene, ergonomics, “stress”), researcher, educator, writer/editor and Jim Littleford, electrician at Recovery Boiler # 4 at Dryden mill will be our guest speakers for this Tuesday’s session. We will look at how body mapping can be used to define clusters, etc.
Dorothy has worked with/for unions, governments, occupational health centres/clinics, NGOs and universities in Canada, the United States and Mocambique. These days, she is self-employed and based in Winnipeg (with a move to Kitchener, Ontario planned for December), and writing a lot about the hazards of cleaning and disinfecting, especially in the pandemic.
About 25 years ago, Dorothy became a pioneer of body and workplace mapping, tools she has adapted for different jobs and situations as needed. They can help participants “see with new eyes” and make visible harm and hazards that are hard to see. As pictures of collective experience, the maps also start participants telling stories that can lead to action and change.
Tuesday Sept 29th IW Session – Guest speaker Ellen MacEachen
Researcher, Ellen MacEachen will present research findings on insights gained from RTW Coordinators about strategies for managing RTW for people with common mental health conditions. These have been compiled in a 60-page stakeholder guide called: “Road Blocks and Alternate Routes: Practical Strategies for Managing Mental Health and Return to Work” (this is available for download at http://ellenmaceachen.ca/rtw-mental-health-guide/).
She will also share findings about how the work conditions of RTW Coordinators themselves shapes the RTW process. RTW Coordinators are required to meet their own employer’s performance mandates for issues such as minimal injured worker absence while also meeting worker health and recovery needs. MacEachen proposes a theory to explain this often conflicted position and related high RTW Coordination turnover and burnout. Finally, she reflects on implications of RTW coordination for workers themselves.
NEW: Sara Mojtehedzadeh’s Toronto Star podcast Report on the Demer’s Report (July 15, 2020): Is Ontario ignoring workplace cancer?
Tuesday Sept 22@ 10 am – Iw Session – Exploring next steps for Paul Demers Report
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2020 @ 10 am. The Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group will be partnering with the Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic (IWC) for our session this upcoming Tuesday. The session will be hosted by IWC with guest speakers who will help us understand the nuts and bolts of the Paul Demers Report on occupational disease.
Contact us at TBWISG@gmail.com if you want to join us!
The Paul Demers Report
Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group 