OCEU president says the Ford government's WSIB review risks worsening staffing and service problems for injured workers
The union representing more than 3,700 employees at Ontario's workers' compensation board is warning the provincial government that its newly launched review of the agency risks making services worse for injured workers, not better.
The Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU), also known as CUPE Local 1750, represents staff at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association. Ontario Treasury Board President Peter Bethlenfalvy announced on August 5, 2026 that the WSIB is one of eight provincial agencies under review for efficiency, governance and productivity, alongside Metrolinx, the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Legal Aid Ontario and four other bodies. Bethlenfalvy said the reviews are meant to keep agencies on solid financial footing while protecting the frontline services Ontarians rely on, according to The Canadian Press.
OCEU members held a seven-week strike earlier this year over workload and mental health concerns before reaching a new three-year contract, and Goslin said those same pressures are why he is watching the agency review closely.
OCEU president Harry Goslin told Canadian Occupational Safety that the premise behind the review does not hold up when it comes to WSIB's front-line staff.
"Bargaining unit employees' numbers have been pretty much flatlined for the last three to five years," Goslin said. "And the workload problem continues to persist. So if we had excess employees, I would expect that our workload issues would be declining, which is not the case at all for us."
Goslin said any growth at the WSIB has come on the non-bargaining side of the organization. "They do have more chief positions than I've seen in the past. I think more vice-president roles as well," he said. "So perhaps that's the place for the government to take a look at."
Staffing freeze and a stalled records request
Goslin said the Ontario Treasury Board has already imposed a hiring freeze and a cap on both bargaining and non-bargaining unit employees at the WSIB, but the board has not disclosed the details of that cap. "WSIB has not disclosed that information, so we are battling over a Freedom of Information request," Goslin said, adding the union is now in the appeal process after the agency missed the initial 30-day response window.
Second Injury and Enhancement Fund closure still stings
Goslin also pointed to WSIB's recent decision to close its Second Injury and Enhancement Fund, an 80-year-old program originally created in 1945 to support veterans returning to the workforce, which a value-for-money audit found delivered little benefit to employers. The fund had provided Schedule 1 employers with cost relief of 25 to 100 per cent when a worker's pre-existing condition contributed to a claim. Goslin disagrees with the audit's conclusion based on his own front-line experience.
"I used the Second Injury Enhancement Fund as a way to help workers with pre-existing conditions get back to work successfully time and time again, but I see this as harmful to workers," Goslin said. "I think this cost relief for employers was very helpful in getting people back to work. It reduced the risk for the employer organizations."
WSIB's financial position draws scrutiny
Goslin questioned why the WSIB was selected for review at all, pointing to the board's finances. "We're talking about an organization that has $40 billion," he said. The WSIB has returned $21.5 billion in cumulative savings and rebates to Ontario employers since 2018, according to OCEU's Aug. 7 press release.
Goslin also linked the review to concerns over staff mental health, citing OCEU's Copenhagen Psychosocial Survey results on WSIB employee burnout. "We have people suffering from so much workload that their anxiety and depression rates based on last year's survey results are double that of the national average," he said. "Which to me means there's urgent problems that the employer should be addressing. The agency review is going to take us in the opposite direction."
In a statement to Canadian Occupational Safety, the WSIB said: "We are focused on delivering the best outcomes possible for people and good value for the premiums Ontario businesses pay."
Coverage gap remains a priority
Goslin said whatever direction the review takes, it should also address WSIB's coverage gap. He pointed to the union's ongoing campaign to expand mandatory WSIB coverage to more sectors, called Protect All Workers. "We're highlighting the fact that only three of four workers in Ontario are covered," Goslin said. "So over 1.5 million people without WSIB protection. That should be wherever the agency review goes."
