A Windsor MPP says cuts to Ontario’s Workplace Safety Board are costing local jobs and leaving injured workers behind. New Democrat Lisa Gretzky joined union leaders Tuesday to sound the alarm over the WSIB’s decision to close regional offices. Gretzky says about 160 positions are being cut in Windsor alone. “The government has an opportunity to step in and actually protect the workers at WSIB by reversing the job cuts here locally and across the province and more so support the injured workers that rely on having a person on the other end of the phone and not having to deal with the chat,” she says. The Ontario Compensation Employee Union (OCEU) says the changes are already leading to longer wait times and a growing backlog of claims. It’s calling on the Ford government to step in. The WSIB has previously defended the restructuring, saying it’s consolidating services and access to support remains unchanged.
