TORONTO –Premier Ford’s plan to use injured worker’s WSIB funds to cut cheques for business owners in the province is a misappropriation of funds.

“It’s disgraceful to give payouts to employers when so many injured workers and occupational disease victims and families are still denied claims or have seen benefits slashed,” said Naureen Rizvi, Unifor Ontario Regional Director. “This payout is a misuse of money that workers desperately need, and looks like an attempt to gain support just a few months before the provincial election.”

The provinces’ assessment of a future surplus is based on an actuarial fiction that assumes low benefits will be paid in future.

Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton announced the Ford government’s plan to return $1.5 billion in contributions to the fund that backs benefits for workers who are injured on the job. This is the first rebate announced after October 2021 legislative changes to how and when the WSIB may issue rebates.

“This is an offensive misuse of benefits that workers and their families are entitled to receive. These funds should have never been used to buoy businesses balance sheets, ,” continued Rizvi.

These rebates are close to the total annual income of the WSIB, which collects approximately $3.1 billion per year in premiums paid by employers and $1.7 billion in investment income.

Unifor will also monitor the recipients of the payouts. While government has stated businesses with a clean recent safety record will be eligible for the refund, this practice could reward employers without good frontline health and safety practices, where claims have been supressed in the workplace.

HALIFAX- Contract negotiations kicked off today for 1,700 members who work for Bell Aliant across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

“These proud Atlantic Canadian workers have had enough of Bell Aliant shipping their work out of the region or overseas,” said Chris MacDonald, Unifor Assistant to the National President. “In today’s opening day, they laid down a clear demand that Bell Aliant keep the work in Atlantic Canada where the profits are made.”

Members are seeking an end to Bell’s concerted strategy of job erosion. Since purchasing Bell Aliant in 2014, hundreds of jobs have been lost from this bargaining unit through processes like contracting out.

“I’m proud of these members and their solidarity with the entire bargaining committee for taking such a firm stand in these negotiations,” said Roch Leblanc, Unifor Telecommunications Director.

Negotiations began with the union and the employer exchanging proposals on Friday, February 18, 2022. Talks are scheduled to continue on March 1, 2022.

The previous collective agreement expired on December 31, 2021.

In the past week, more than 15,000 members including Atlantic and Clerical workers in Quebec and Ontario as well as for members at BTS have opened negotiations with the company.

Bell Aliant workers are represented by Local 401, Local 410, Local 506 and Local 2289.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.