Given the far-reaching scope of the review of the Board’s Independent Living policies and their potential impact, IWC submits that they require further in-person/online consultations with stakeholders, especially injured and ill workers, who will be the ones directly impacted by these policy changes. The submission details major concerns on the modified/draft policies with recommendations.
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Our Know Your Rights/Injured Worker Group meeting will be held on Wednesday June 5th from 1pm to 2pm. We will be discussing a few different topics, including WSIB’s recent announcement that it will review how it cut benefits in a very limited number of migrant worker cases over the last few years. The decision could have longer term impacts on the conversation around deeming and determining in Ontario, so let’s talk about it.
The meeting is both available to attend either in person or on zoom. Please register here to get all of the information you need.
In recognition of decades spent on the legal frontlines advocating for injured workers and a more just workers’ compensation system, IWC’s John McKinnon recently received Osgoode Hall Law school’s Dianne Martin Medal for Social Justice Through Law.
In a career that began as a law student volunteer at Parkdale CLS, he has continued to focus on representing low-income and marginalized clients through Ontario’s community legal clinic system. After working as staff lawyer with Parkdale and Central Toronto (Kensington-Bellwood) clinics, John joined Injured Workers Consultants in 1989, providing legal leadership as Executive Director. Co-chair for many years of the Ontario Legal Clinics’ Workers’ Compensation Network (OLCWCN), he continues to serve also on the executive team of the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario (ACLCO) contributing to strategies to strengthen the clinic system and legal aid program.
As noted by a former co-worker, his approach in handling the appeal cases of individual injured workers is “a study in patience, empathy and persistence. Once the file is opened, John ensures that justice is sought as far as is possible. A case which might seem hopeless, will spring to life in John’s hands.” Dedicated also to making system-wide change through test cases and workers’ compensation law and policy reforms, with his customary humility John would attribute his many achievements to the power of collaboration and working in teams within the clinic and externally. This he continues to do through active participation in legal networks such as OLCWCN and by supporting the injured worker community, including the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups, to undertake their own reform and self-advocacy initiatives.
John shares his encyclopedic knowledge of workers’ compensation law and its history through legal education, clinics training & support, as well as through regular information exchanges and workshops with the injured worker community. Injecting creativity and humour into the clinic’s popular education campaigns, he has successfully raised public awareness of problematic workers’ compensation issues. In addition to in-house analysis, he continues to support inclusive worker-focused research projects that value shared expertise and experiences, such as the six-year Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury (2006-2012) for which he was a partner lead.
John’s energy and commitment to access to justice combined with his intellect and curiosity has made him a highly respected member of both the Ontario legal clinic community and the injured worker/workers compensation world. He has quietly and tirelessly dedicated himself to working for social justice through law.
The staff and Board of IWC warmly congratulate him on receiving this award.
In the leadup to Injured Workers’ Day, our office is hosting an online roundtable discussion that will compare and contrast the challenges facing health & safety and workers’ compensation systems in the United States and Canada. The conversation will feature experts, advocates, activists, and injured workers from both countries, and will take place Friday March 31st at 1pm. Participants will include:
- Glenn Shor (Lecturer – University of California Berkeley)
- Orlando Buonastella (Community Legal Worker – IWC)
- Alec Farquar (Advocate)
- Steve Mantis (Injured Worker / Activist – Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups)
This event is on zoom or call-in only (though we are hoping to have similar events in person in the future). Register here or visit tinyurl.com/May31Roundtable to get zoom/call-in information sent to your email.
(** For updates on future events, sign up to IWC’s email list at http://tinyurl.com/IWCMailingList ).
The next monthly injured & ill worker meeting (which you can attend in person or by Zoom/telephone) will take place on Wednesday May 8th from 1pm to 3pm.
You will need to register if you want to attend online or by phone, and we also request that you register to attend in person as well so that we know how many people to prepare for.
As usual, the meeting will be split into two, with the first half containing an educational aspect and the second half being more interactive. You are welcome to join for just one section, or attend both. On the agenda: a history of June 1st, Injured Workers Day and the Injured Worker Story Project; discussion of the OFL’s Injured Workers’ Bill of Rights
If you are attending online or by phone, information on how to join on Zoom or by phone will be emailed to you after you register.
If you’re not able to join us on May 8th mark the next meeting (June 5th, 1pm to 3pm) in your calendars now, and keep an eye out for details closer to the date (sign up to IWC’s email list to get the most up-to-date information at tinyurl.com/IWCMailingList)
We are happy to announce that IWC is launching a new monthly hybrid meeting (in person and on zoom/telephone) that will combine the educational aspects of our Know Your Rights sessions with the social aspects, peer support, and group activities of an Injured Workers’ Group meeting.
The meetings will usually take place on the second Wednesday of the month, from 1pm to 3pm. The first hour will include a “Know Your Rights” session, and the second will be a more informal, participatory meeting. You are welcome to join for one or both – we hope to see you at the first meeting this week on April 10.
There will be a few exceptions to the regular schedule throughout the year, so please sign up to IWC’s email list to get the most up-to-date information at tinyurl.com/IWCMailingList
