Board blocks access to technology as part of its 'business continuity protocol' and calls it a 'safety precaution'
The labour dispute between the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and CUPE Local 1750 escalates as unionized employees begin a legal strike, while each side issues conflicting narratives about bargaining, benefits, and job security.
Rolling strikes involving all workers across the province hitting the picket lines began today and are scheduled to continue Friday, but what comes next remains unclear.
CUPE Local 1750 president Harry Goslin says WSIB is refusing to address a "toxic workplace" and has implemented a series of retaliatory actions against striking workers.
“They are refusing to deal with workload,” Goslin says. “We have a peer-reviewed survey showing much higher than average levels of anxiety and depression. WSIB is supposed to be about safety in Ontario, yet these results show they’re among the worst in Canada.”
At the centre of the breakdown is a wage offer CUPE calls unacceptable. According to Goslin, WSIB proposed a three-year agreement with salary increases of 2% in the first year, 1.5% in the second, and 1% in the third.
“That’s just unacceptable. Nobody’s getting wages like that,” he says. “Since 2020, we’ve fallen behind inflation by 5.25%. We’re asking for something in the range of 3.2 to 3.4%—in line with over 500 public sector settlements this year.”
The union also alleges that WSIB has locked out striking employees from internal systems, cut off health benefits, denied short-term disability coverage to pregnant workers, and encouraged the use of replacement labour.
“They’ve shut us out,” Goslin says. “They’re cutting off benefits to people who need life-saving medication, and they’re telling people to cross the line without explaining what that means under the Labour Relations Act.”
In response, the WSIB says it is actively bargaining and has not received communication from the union since Monday.
“The WSIB remains at the bargaining table and has submitted the most recent offer in the negotiation process,” the organization says in a statement. “We are awaiting a response.”
The board confirms that it has shut off building and technology access for striking workers but says the move is part of its “business continuity protocol,” not a lockout.
“This is a safety precaution,” says WSIB president and CEO Jeff Lang. “Our top priority is helping people. Rather than pursue further disruption, the WSIB is focused on bargaining and ensuring critical services continue.”
WSIB also accuses the union of organizing a coordinated phone disruption.
“Union executives have instructed members to call in to jam WSIB phone lines, cultivating an environment of fear and anxiety for employees who continue to want to show up,” the board states.
Goslin rejects the narrative that CUPE is disrupting services and insists the union is taking steps to minimize the impact on injured workers.
“We’re prepared to go back to work intermittently to keep claims moving,” he says. “But now it appears WSIB won’t even let us in.”
Adding to tensions is the union’s claim that WSIB has signed a contract with Iron Mountain to outsource work performed by 26 WSIB employees — a move CUPE views as an attempt to eliminate jobs.
“They haven’t issued layoff notices yet, but they’ve signed the deal,” Goslin says. “They’re just waiting to pull the trigger.”
WSIB’s latest public statement does not address the outsourcing claim or the union’s allegations about benefit suspensions and short-term disability denials.
Meanwhile, non-union staff are maintaining WSIB’s essential operations. Services such as online claim tracking and business registration remain available through wsib.ca, though the board warns of potential delays.
The union launched its strike on Wednesday, May 21, and says it will continue job actions until a fair deal is reached.
