On June 1st every year, injured workers and labour activists gather at Queen’s Park in Toronto and at other locations in cities across the province to mark Injured Workers’ Day. It commemorates the events of June 1st 1983 when thousands of injured workers came to Queen’s Park to speak against the government’s proposal to eliminate the permanent disability pension. The government listened and set aside the proposal.
This year injured workers are faced with the argument that they should have less than full justice because there is an economic crisis. But workers and injured workers did not bring about the economic crisis. Workers’ compensation was created to be a system of justice in good and bad economic times. Employers are protected from lawsuits in good economic times and bad. Injured workers must be protected from poverty at all times as well.
The road to justice for injured workers still stretches far ahead. This year, the Canadian Labour Congress has joined us to mark June 1st as a national injured workers day. Workers from across Canada will use this day to organize rallies, public awareness events and lobby governments to improve health and safety and workers’ compensation laws.
In Ontario, workers are asking the government to:
- address injured worker poverty by eliminating deeming and fully protecting workers’ compensation benefits against increases in inflation
- extend workers’ compensation coverage to protect all workers and to cover all occupational diseases, from both physical hazards and occupational stresses
- end the experience rating system that rewards employers who fail to report workplace injuries and drains hundreds of millions of dollars from the system every year
- restore the independence of the Appeals Tribunal from WCB/WSIB policy, independence that existed prior to the Harris government
Read a 
brief history about Injured Workers Day
Organized by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups
Injured Workers’ Day is officially recognized by the Canadian Labour Congress
For more information see: www.injuredworkersonline.org
June 1 activities around Ontario
St. Catharines
Injured Workers Day Rally 4:30 pm – June 1, 2009
Demand Justice for Ontario"s Injured Workers Rally outside the WSIB, 301 St. Paul St., St. Catharines
Sponsored by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups and the St. Catharines & District Labour Council Tel. (905) 934-6233\
Thunder Bay
Injured Workers’ Day Rally and Bar B Q Picnic Monday, June 1st
From 11 AM to 2 PM Formal proceeding 11:30 – 1 PM At the Lakehead Labour Centre 929 Fort William Road
Special Guest Speaker – Hassan Yussuff Sec/Treasurer – Canadian Labour Congress Vigil – May 30 – over night leading up to June 1st- Lakehead Labour centre 807-622-8897 Toronto
Ontario legislature Queen’s Park 11 AM
26th anniversary rally
Media conference at 9:30 AM
Vigil – over night – Monday night at Queen’s Park 416-461-2411
Windsor
Windsor event—June 1, BBQ and Refreshments at 4 pm at CAW Local 195 3400 Somme (corner of Central Ave and Somme Ave). Bring a lawn chair and sunscreen!! Download flyer
London
(to be confirmed) media conference and poverty report 519-637-0882