One year after celebrating the successful second reading of the Injured Workers’ Day Bill, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) proudly stands today with injured workers, community groups, allies, ONDP Leader Marit Stiles, and ONDP MPP and Shadow Minister for Labour, Mining, and Energy, Jamie West to mark the first officially recognized Injured Workers’ Day in Ontario.
“For over four decades, injured workers have fought to be seen, heard, and protected,” said Laura Walton, OFL President. “Today, we can proudly say their fight is recognized in law, but the work to fix a broken workers’ compensation system is far from done.”
In Toronto, injured workers and allies gathered at Queen’s Park for a rally featuring speeches from injured workers, MPP Jamie West, and supporters. Rallies also took place in London, Oshawa, Peterborough, Thunder Bay, and Windsor, led by the Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups (ONIWG).
Jamie West added the collective effort behind the legislation:
“Whenever I’m congratulated for passing ‘my bill,’ I remind people this is really ‘our bill’. I tabled Bill 118: Injured Workers Day Act, but it wouldn’t have existed without the injured worker groups who made it clear that June 1 had never been officially recognized by the province.”
In April 2024, the OFL partnered with ONIWG and launched the Injured Workers’ Bill of Rights, outlining a bold, worker-driven platform for justice. Today, the OFL’s Injured Workers Committee continues to push for those urgent and unmet demands which include, full and fair compensation, an end to deeming, equitable healthcare access, and strong protections for migrant and precarious workers.
David Newberry from Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic added, “This year’s official proclamation of “Injured Workers’ Day” by the legislature is very exciting and deeply meaningful, but it needs to be followed up with meaningful action that makes a material difference in the lives of the workers who lost their health at work and are struggling in poverty and pain.”
The OFL and its allies will continue the fight to transform Ontario’s workers’ compensation system, because recognition alone is not justice. No worker should be punished or neglected for being injured at work.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
