Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic is an independent non-profit corporation and specialty community legal clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario. From an office in a downtown east Toronto neighbourhood, the Clinic has been representing low-income and marginalized injured workers across the province free of charge since 1969. Many of those we serve are newcomers, for whom English is a second-language, or have no union to represent their interests.
Our staff is organized as a collective operating with consensus decision-making. The Clinic is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, drawn from and accountable to the clinic’s community and elected by our members.
What we do
The Clinic works for and with injured workers, drawing on their experience and knowledge in its activities to:
- help workers with occupational injuries or diseases get financial assistance and rehabilitation services
- educate workers and the public on their rights and benefits under Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Act
- work with injured workers and community partners to improve the workers’ compensation system for all through systemic reform
- conduct research into community concerns regarding compensation for workplace injury and disease and rehabilitation services / return to work
- assist injured workers with developing peer support and skills for self-advocacy
Vision & values
Our vision: A workers’ compensation system that is responsive to workers’ needs and aspirations, which provides full, just and timely compensation for work-related injury and illness, and promotes occupational health and safety … Continue reading >
Who we work with
The Clinic is a member of the Ontario Workers’ Compensation Legal Clinics Network, the Toronto Injured Workers Advocacy Group, the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario (ACLCO). We work closely with IAVGO Community Legal Clinic and the Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic to co-ordinate provincial coverage of legal services on workplace rights. We work collaboratively with injured workers organizations, including the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG); labour unions; disability, occupational safety and health coalitions; community and social service agencies.
Our history
Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic began as Injured Workmen’s Consultants, originally part of an activist movement called the Just Society. Founded in 1969 by injured worker advocate (and former bank robber) Allen Baldwin, the clinic was incorporated in 1971 as a non-profit corporation, and funded as a community legal clinic by Ontario’s legal aid system since 1976 … Continue reading >
