5/31/2009

CLC Statement on Injured Workers Day


Injured Workers Day is an important day that
commemorates the events of June 1st, 1983, when
thousands of injured workers came to Queen’s Park
in Toronto to speak against the government’s proposal
to eliminate the permanent disability pension. The
government listened and set aside the proposal.
The number of compensable injuries in Canada,
nearly one million Canadians per year from coast
to coast to coast, makes Canadians sadly aware of
the pain and suffering workers endure as a result
of workplace injuries. Unfortunately, far too many
workers are not receiving the care and services that
workers’ compensation was designed to provide.
There are discrepancies among the provinces and
territories. Worse yet, Workers’ Compensation Boards
are continuously bowing to corporate pressure to
make changes that are not benefi cial to workers.
However, the challenges faced by injured workers
are becoming more numerous. The current economic
crisis, for many injured workers, has created yet
another hardship on top of the daily battles they have
been waging to survive. Injured workers are facing
the disrespectful argument that they should have less
than full justice because there is an economic crisis.
Workers and injured workers did not bring about the
economic crisis. Workers’ compensation was created
to be a system of justice in good and bad economic
times. Employers are protected from lawsuits in good
economic times and bad. Injured workers must be
protected from poverty at all times as well.
The Canadian Labour Congress is calling for changes
and supporting efforts to have workers’ compensation
improved across Canada. The CLC and many of our
affi liates and labour councils have been working with
the Canadian Injured Workers Alliance (CIWA) for a
number of years to raise awareness of the problems
and serious diffi culties thousands of injured workers
face on a daily basis.
Workers do not go to work to be disabled
or killed on the job.
Today, in honour of the Injured Workers’ Day, and
every day on behalf of injured workers across the
country, the Canadian Labour Congress calls on
all provinces and territories to work with injured
workers, labour and employers to improve their
workers’ compensation systems.
Governments must ensure that changes to workers’
compensation include the following elements:
• Dignity, respect and justice must be the foundation for a
renewed workers’ compensation system;
• Every province and territory must ensure their workers’
compensation act complies with its stated purposes, to
truly assist and compensate all workers injured, made
sick and disabled at work;
• Each province and territory must have an act that has a
clear focus to assist workers with a permanent disability;
• Injured workers deserve a pension for life if workplace
injuries result in a disability for life;
• Injured workers deserve a full cost of living protection;
and
• Injured workers need real jobs and job security or full
compensation.
The CLC is calling on our affi liates, federations of
labour and labour councils to work hand in hand
with injured workers’ groups across Canada on June
1st and throughout the year to pressure governments
in Canada to change workers’ compensation where it
has been clearly demonstrated that injured workers
and their families are not being treated with the
dignity and respect they are entitled.
There a number of steps which can and should be
taken:
• Invite the local injured workers’ group to join your local
labour council;
• On a yearly basis, develop an action plan on activities you
will undertake together with the local injured workers’
group;
• Invite activists with the injured workers’ group to
participate in union training sessions and union days of
action;
• Provide a space where injured workers can meet one
another, even if just over a cup of coffee;
• Provide support and services to your local injured
workers’ group, even something as simple as photocopy
services;
• Encourage your WCB and health and safety activists to
join the injured workers’ group to help with mentoring
and strengthening community solidarity.
The road to justice for injured workers still stretches
far ahead, but working together, we can demand a
better workers’ compensation system, one that puts
the needs of injured workers fi rst and treats them
with the dignity, respect and justice that everyone of
us deserve.
Workers’ Compensation
Needs to Work for Workers

5/28/2009

3 Cemetaries, No Hospital


Save Public Medicare! Information
"3 Cemetaries, No Hospital" sign unveiled in presentation to Mayor:
Fort Erie Continues to fight-back to save local hospital

The Niagara Health System and the provincial government are trying to close the Douglas Memorial Hospital in Fort Erie. But the Town continues to fight-back to save their local hospital that was built originally in 1931 to provide local access to health care services.

In a presentation today to the mayor, the Yellow Shirt Gang - a group of concerned citizens - unveiled a highway banner that indicates the citizens outrage that their community could lose a vital health care service. (see photo below)

The town has vehemently opposed all moves made by the Niagara Health System and the provincial government to close their hospital. When operating rooms were closed and equipment removed recently, a protest resulted in three arrests by police hired privately by the Niagara Health System. Among those arrested was one of the Town of Fort Erie's highly-respected doctors.

Mayor Douglas Martin has been a vocal opponent since inception of a controversial "Hospital Improvement Plan" that will see hospital closures in the lakeside towns of Port Colborne and Fort Erie, " Nothing will be acceptable unless we retain all current services and the equipment stolen from our hospital is returned," said a very supportive Mayor.

"At some point reason must prevail and the McGuinty government must listen to the politicians, physicians, health care workers and citizens who know they are right and the NHS is so very wrong. NO means NO," said the Yellow Shirt Gang.
Edited version of a posting from Sue Salzer and the citizen's fight-back group in Fort Erie
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5/25/2009

June 1st Injured Workers Day Events in Ontario

Some June 1st activities in Ontario

St. Catharines

Injured Workers Day Rally
4:30 pm - June 1, 2009

Demand Justice for Ontario's Injured Workers

Rally outside the WSIB, 301
St. Paul St., St. Catharines

Sponsored by the Ontario Network of Injured
Workers Groups and the St. Catharines &
District Labour Council Tel. (905) 934-6233\


Thunder Bay

Injured Workers� Day
Rally and Bar B Q Picnic
Monday, June 1st

From 11 AM to 2 PM
Formal proceeding 11:30 � 1 PM
At the Lakehead Labour Centre
929 Fort William Road

Special Guest Speaker � Hassan Yussuff
Sec/Treasurer � Canadian Labour Congress

807-622-8897

Toronto

Ontario legislature
Queen�s Park
11 AM

26th anniversary rally

Media conference at 9:30 PM

Vigil � over night - Monday night at Queen�s Park
416-461-2411

Windsor

June 1st Rally and BBQ� 4 PM
At CAW Local 195 on Central Avenue across from Central Stamping!
519-969-7237

London

(to be confirmed)

June 1 Action Alert

Injured Workers' Day Rally. Injured workers and their supporters will rally June 1 at 4:30 pm outside the WSIB offices in St. Catharines at 301 St. Paul St. The purpose of the rally is to demand justice for Ontario's injured workers. The rally is one of a series of events to be held on June 1 which is Injured Workers Day. The action is sponsored by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups and co-sponsored by the St. Catharines & District Labour Council. For further information contact Bruce Allen at (905) 934-6233 or ballen@cogeco.ca.

Town Hall Meeting on Employment Insurance

For Immediate Release:
Town Hall Meeting on the Crisis in Employment Insurance
The St. Catharines & District Labour Council and the Canadian Labour Congress are sponsoring a Town Hall Meeting on the Crisis in Employment Insurance this Wednesady, May 27, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Hall “C” at the CAW Local 199 Hall, 124 Bunting Rd. in St. Catharines. Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) President Ken Georgetti and CAW National Represetative Laurel Ritchie will be two of the panelists featured at the event. The event is one of a series of events the CLC is sponsoring across the country in response to the economic crisis and the impact it is having on working people.
Members of the media are cordially invited to fully participate in this important event. The guest speakers will be available to be interviewed prior to and following the Town Hall meeting. Persons wishing to learn more about this event and related matters are invited to contact St. Catharines & District Labour Council President Bruce Allen at tel. (905) 934-6233 (home) or tel. (905) 682-2611. Canadian Labour Congress Reprsentative Eddie St. Marie is also available to provide information. Tel. (416) 904-9374.