'The wages are low,' says union while WSIB says 'we've come to a fair and reasonable agreement'
Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) employees are back on the job after ratifying a tentative agreement that brings an end to the agency’s first-ever full-scale strike. The six-week labour disruption, which impacted more than 3,600 workers and drew in the Premier’s Office, concludes with a three-year contract—but not without lingering concerns from both sides.
OCEU/CUPE 1750 members voted 72.5 percent in favour of the agreement, clearing the way for a return-to-work protocol that took effect July 8. “Everybody's back at work as of today,” confirms union president Harry Goslin. However, the contract still awaits ratification by the WSIB board and the provincial government—steps both parties say are mostly procedural but not yet complete.
Wages settled, but with frustration
The new deal provides 7% in wage increases over three years: 2.75% in 2025, 2.25% in 2026, and 2.0% in 2027. Goslin says the settlement falls short of what union leadership had sought. “The wages are low, and they really are wages that were imposed by the provincial government,” he says. The union had initially pushed for annual increases in the range of 3.2%.
Aaron Lazarus, WSIB vice president of communications, defends the outcome as balanced and fair. “I think the vote itself shows that everybody involved on both the WSIB side and in our union think that we've come to a fair and reasonable agreement,” he says.
Progress on workload a key gain
While wages prompted mixed reactions, both sides agree the deal includes significant measures to address workload concerns. “We did make some positive progress,” says Goslin. “There’s now a new, improved joint workload committee with decision-making power”. The committee will immediately begin reviewing ten outstanding workload grievances covering nearly half the workforce.
The employer has also committed to a new “disbandment team” model. When a case manager leaves, their caseload will no longer be absorbed by remaining staff. Instead, dedicated support teams will manage the load during the transition. “That will provide some immediate relief,” Goslin says.
Other areas of focus include re-evaluating customer service staffing, reducing phone queue backlogs, and examining internal disparities. “On the employer side, there are virtually no workload issues. On the worker side, the calls are scripted and timed,” Goslin says. “Those things need to be addressed.”
Relationship repair and operational recovery
Lazarus acknowledges the dispute’s unprecedented nature but expresses optimism about moving forward. “It is okay to have disagreements… at the end of the day, there’s an underlying respect,” he says. “We have a great team who do excellent work.”
He adds that WSIB identified internal inefficiencies during the strike that will now be addressed. “Some of our internal processes go back 20 or 30 years,” Lazarus says. “We’ve already removed some unnecessary ones—like how we measure live answer rates—and we’ll continue tightening things up.”
Looking ahead—and looking back
Despite the return to work, Goslin warns that another strike could happen when this three-year deal expires. “We didn’t want to go out on strike… but if we’re in that situation again, we will implement strike action again,” he says. “I believe as time goes by, we’ll see the full impact the strike has had on the organization and the work that’s piled up.”
Lazarus, however, is focused on the present. “We're thrilled to welcome our full team back to do what everybody does best, which is help people,” he says. “And we’re committed to making the WSIB even better, easier, and faster for everyone we serve.”
As the dust settles, both the union and the board claim partial victories. Whether the changes enacted through this deal will satisfy frontline workers—or deter future disruptions—remains to be seen. But for now, Ontarians who rely on the WSIB can expect the agency to be back in full operation.
