As the strike enters its third week, the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is calling on the union to return to the bargaining table.
The WSIB and the Ontario Compensation Employees Union met with a mediator on the weekend, where the WSIB presented new proposals on key issues, like wages, benefits and workload.
On the issue of wages, it said 60 per cent of unionized workers already earn over $100,000 annually, and the proposal is above inflation. It said by 2027, 73 per cent of those workers will make over $100,000.
As for workload, the WSIB said the average caseload has fallen by 60 per cent from its peak in 2021, and 100 net new people have been added to the case management team. It's proposing an enhanced joint workload committee with dedicated resourcing to help reduce caseloads further.
The WSIB also wants to remind the public it is open during the strike. Since the workers walked off the job on May 22, it's registered 11,000 new claims and issued more than 60,000 payments.
"When people are hurt at work, we help them recover and return to what matters, and we're getting the best results in a decade," said WSIB President and CEO Jeff Lang. "I hope our team sees our position as a genuine effort to put this strike behind us."
"Our members are passionate about helping injured workers, but they are workers too," said Harry Goslin, the president of OCEU/CUPE 1750.
Injured workers can file a claim anytime at the WSIB's website.
Telephone support is available from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. Wait times for those services and response times for non-urgent inquiries are impacted by the strike.
The union has accused the WSIB of refusing to address the crisis in the system and spending $14.5-million on a U.S.-based coaching firm, BetterUp. It also cites a contract the WSIB signed with Iron Mountain, a document management firm in Boston, that will eliminate 26 unionized positions.
"All workers deserve fair pay, safe workplaces, and respect," said Goslin on June 5. "This strike can end tomorrow if the WSIB and the Ford government come to the table with a real deal."