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Index August 29 2007
Response From the CIWS to the Sarnia Observer Editorialsre: Mr. Mahoney's (WSIB) and Mr. Clare's Letters(Published in the Sarnia Observer Set 5 2007)The Canadian Injured Workers Society tracks anecdotal reports of disabled worker suicides from all provinces that may be related to a workplace injury or their treatment while on workers compensation. These reports point to a possible correlation between the suicide and the frustrations and hardships inflicted on a worker by the workers compensation board.August 29, 2007RE: Editorial "Chairperson defends record of the WSIB" - (The Observer, Aug. 29, 2007) by Steven W. Mahoney P.C., chairperson, Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Mr. Mahoney called Mr. Clare's statements about the WSIB "unfounded" and "misinformed" and said that "To suggest our efforts are responsible for injured worker suicides is both inflammatory and preposterous. If someone tragically takes his or her own life, we all lose." The Canadian Injured Workers Society tracks anecdotal reports of disabled worker suicides from all provinces that may be related to a workplace injury or their treatment while on workers compensation. These reports point to a possible correlation between the suicide and the frustrations and hardships inflicted on a worker by the workers compensation board. Disabled workers report adverse experiences involving the board which frustrate their financial, physical and psychological wellbeing at the same time as they are trying to heal from their injuries. These adverse experiences include delays in receiving compensation, outright denials, adverse medical treatments, etc.. Workers compensation boards report suicides as 'fatalities' in their annual reports and do not report the cause of the fatality nor whether it was or was not a suicide. Where they do report suicides, they do not report the cause of those suicides. The Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention said in a 2006 news release: "Canada's lack of suicide awareness and prevention programs has been identified as a national priority by the Standing Senate Commission on Social Affairs, Science, and Technology in their report, Out of The Shadows At Last. The report, published last week and chaired by Senator Michael Kirby, acknowledged that "every year some 3,700 Canadians kill themselves," while admitting that this statistic "[does] not paint the complete picture" because "most suicide statistics do not account for suicides wrongly reported as accidental deaths, nor do they include incomplete suicides." This lack of accurate suicide statistics makes it impossible to confirm Mr. Mahoney's statement that . . . "To suggest our efforts are responsible for injured worker suicides is both inflammatory and preposterous." . . . because the statistics and causes of disabled worker suicides are inadequately reported. The fundamental issue raised in both of the previous letters is whether or not the WSIB is doing the job it was intended to do and in the most effective manner. There seems to be disagreement on this. The Canadian Injured Workers Society believes that the workers compensation system in Canada is broken. Workers compensation boards are increasingly running on an insurance-industry model that delays and denies legitimate claims when they should be running as administrative boards to administer quick, fair and adequate compensation for workplace injuries. Millions of dollars of administrative overhead at the WSIB are spent to pay for the approximately 170 employees who make over $100,000.00 per year. http://www.ciws.ca/ontario_wsib_salaries.htm Add onto that figure, all lower-paid employees, and you have an extremely expensive bureaucracy whose effectiveness is being called into question. So, when Mr. Mahoney says that "The majority of Clare's accusations are obviously subjective and certainly unsubstantiated," maybe it is time for those accusations to be investigated by an independent body so that Ontarians (and all Canadians) can find out the truth for themselves. The Canadian Injured Workers Society is calling for a federal public judicial inquiry into Criminal Code and Charter of Rights violations by workers compensation boards across Canada. Beth McQuinn-Nixon, President, CIWS (The Canadian Injured Workers Society is a non-profit, non-charitable corporation made up of injured Canadian employees and their family members from across the country who are interested in improving the workers compensation system in Canada.) More information can be found at: http://www.ciws.ca HISTORY: Aug. 23, 2007 - injured worker asks questions about the WSIB to Ontario provincial election candidates in newspaper: - Letter to the editor from P.C. Clare, "Candidate stances on WSIB important" - (The Observer, Aug. 23, 2007) - Aug. 29, 2007 - WSIB responds negatively in letter to same newspaper: - Response to P. C. Clare from WSIB Chairperson, Steven W. Mahoney, "Chairperson defends record of the WSIB" (The Observer, Aug. 29, 2007) Aug. 29, 2007 - the CIWS responds to both letters: - Response from the CIWS to the Sarnia Observer Editorials re: Mr. Mahoney (WSIB) and Mr. Clare's Letters - sent August 29, 2007 - (Published in the Sarnia Observer Set 5 2007) Sept. 11, 2007 - PC Clare's response: All Injured Workers Need Fair Treatment October 4, 2007 - PC Clare receives answers from Steve Mahoney and responds: Answers on WSIB insufficient Back to Article Index |