WSIB: A Collaborative Story

By Aren Plante, Representative, Grimsby Member Centre

When I first entered healthcare labour relations, I assumed that WSIB coverage automatically applied to everyone working in healthcare. I was shocked to learn that this vital protection did not extend to retirement home workers unless it had been specifically negotiated into their collective agreements.

Thankfully, CLAC has been very successful in bargaining WSIB coverage for most of our members across the sector. Still, a few workplaces remain where employees have only limited protection through private insurance instead of the public WSIB system.

Securing WSIB coverage for all healthcare workers isn’t just part of CLAC’s bargaining strategy, it’s a personal mission for me. My own father, who worked for 30 years as an urban forester, spent extended time on WSIB after being seriously injured on the job by a chainsaw. I saw first-hand how important that support is for workers and families.

What inspires me most is the story behind WSIB’s creation. While policy discussions can sound dry or technical, the very origins of WSIB reflect the same spirit of collaboration that defines CLAC’s approach to labour relations. As our constitution says,

although employers and employees may strongly disagree on certain matters, they also have shared interests, including the success of the enterprise, their mutual welfare, and broader social obligations and responsibilities. The pursuit of such common objectives is best done through cooperation, without any compromise of workplace justice or the union’s independence.

This same spirit guided Sir William Meredith, the founder of Ontario’s workers’ compensation system. More than a century ago, he recognized that the old, adversarial court system for workplace injuries was failing everyone. Injured workers often went uncompensated, while employers faced costly and unpredictable lawsuits.

Meredith proposed a historic trade-off: workers gave up their right to sue in exchange for fair, guaranteed compensation, and employers accepted full financial responsibility through a shared insurance system.

This agreement became the foundation for WSIB, and it rests on what are now known as the Five Meredith Principles:

1. No-Fault Compensation – Workers receive benefits regardless of who caused the accident.
2. Collective Liability – All employers contribute, ensuring stability and fairness.
3. Security of Payment – Benefits are guaranteed, even if an employer goes out of business.
4. Exclusive Jurisdiction – WSIB, an independent public board, administers the system justly and efficiently.
5. Nonadversarial Process – Disputes are resolved without costly, combative court battles.

At its heart, WSIB is about collaboration and care—values that mirror CLAC’s approach. Just as WSIB was built to protect workers through partnership rather than conflict, CLAC seeks to achieve fairness through dialogue, respect, and shared purpose.

Every time we negotiate WSIB into a contract, we’re continuing that legacy of cooperation and justice, ensuring that those who care for others are cared for too.

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