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Construction workers in Toronto in February, 2024.Laura Proctor/The Globe and Mail
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is cutting 466 jobs across the province, in a move the union calls a “gut punch.”
The organization said in a statement Thursday that it has made a “difficult business decision to consolidate” the roles of some back-office staff in claims and account management who work remotely.
“We recognize this is difficult news for impacted team members and their families,” the WSIB said in the statement.
“We will treat everyone fairly and with respect in recognition of the valuable role they have played on our team. That includes opportunities to relocate, access to resumé writing, job seeking services and a continuation of benefits including unlimited mental health support during this transition.”
Affected employees are in Sudbury, Windsor, Thunder Bay, St. Catharines, Guelph, Sault Ste. Marie, Kingston, North Bay and Timmins. Actual job losses may be less than 466 as people are offered opportunities to relocate, the WSIB said.
The Ontario Compensation Employees Union, an arm of Canadian Union of Public Employees, said it has also been informed that another 155 jobs will be cut in Waterloo in about a year.
“I’ve been dealing with this for a few days now, where we have been trying to negotiate some mitigation with the WSIB,” said president Harry Goslin. “Every day is like a gut punch.”
The WSIB said there will still be local teams in those regions providing in-person support for people returning to work, but Goslin said the loss of staff will result in delays in service for people injured on the job.
“People will be waiting longer to get a return call,” he said.
“They’ll wait longer to get a decision. They’ll wait longer to get their health-care costs reimbursed, to get access to the health-care services they need, and the referrals to the return-to-work services that they rely on to get back to work.”
NDP critic Lise Vaugeois said it is a betrayal of workers.
“At a time when the demand for workers in construction, forestry, and mining is increasing, the WSIB has now made it exponentially harder for people to access support,” she wrote in a statement.
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said the WSIB is abandoning northern Ontario, where half of the job losses are concentrated.
“Communities across the north have already been hit by tariffs, plant closures and layoffs, while unemployment is near historic highs,” he wrote in a statement.
“These are good, stable jobs that support families, local businesses and regional economies.”
The WSIB is one of several large public agencies the provincial government will be reviewing in the coming months. Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy announced earlier this month that the WSIB, Liquor Control Board of Ontario and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario are among the bodies subject to efficiency and productivity reviews.