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Union President Visits Kingston to Close Out Week of Escalating WSIB StrikeAs the province-wide Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) strike enters a critical phase, Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750) President Harry Goslin will join striking frontline workers on the picket line in Kingston on Friday, July 4 at 12:00 p.m. to close out the week. The visit follows growing frustration with political interference and misinformation - including a misleading employer post and direct texts from Premier Doug Ford repeating employer talking points.
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"Premier Ford told me he understood our concerns - but then turned around and lied to our members," said Harry Goslin, President of the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750). "He texted workers directly with a recycled offer and tried to pass it off as new. That's not leadership - that's manipulation." Th employer's public post this week references an "offer", but it is not new. It is the same proposal tabled weeks ago with no changes or improvements. Meanwhile, WSIB has refused to meet with the union despite being offered time by the mediator. The mediator himself was unaware the employer had gone public with its so-called offer, underscoring how disconnected the post was from actual negotiations. "This is a PR stunt - not a serious effort to bargain," said Goslin. "We're showing up. We're tabling formal offers. We're working through issues. But WSIB continues to delay and distract." The union has also raised red flags about WSIB quietly outsourcing union work during the strike - including a pilot program that allows private healthcare contractors to bypass unionized staff and contact employers directly, a role traditionally held by WSIB Return-to-Work Specialists. "WSIB would rather contract out public services behind closed doors than offer a fair deal to its own workers," Goslin added. "And now the Premier is helping push their message - texting workers directly in the middle of a strike, spreading confusion instead of offering solutions." More than 3,600 OCEU members - including case managers, return-to-work specialists, and support staff, remain locked out across Ontario. They are fighting for fair wages, safe workloads, and an end to reckless privatization. The union is scheduled to return to the table Friday morning and will continue pressing for a real offer that can be brought to a vote. mb/cope491
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250703470540/en/ |
