# data[].attributes.body
http://wsiat.on.ca/english/about/expert.htm
This is a link to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) website. This particular page explains why the WSIAT is considered an expert tribunal. This is relevant to my topic because the WSIAT is the final stage in the appeals process for any disagreements with WSIB decisions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WSIAT's expertise has been recognized by the legal community, as well as stakeholders in the workplace safety and insurance system. At WSIAT's 25th Anniversary Symposium, held in October of 2010, counsel and stakeholders from the employer community, the injured worker community, the WSIB and the judiciary all shared in the view that WSIAT is a highly regarded adjudicative tribunal deserving of respect and trust.

# data[].attributes.headline
GNED 1308 Canadian Law-Assignment 2 EMPLOYMENT LAW

# data[].attributes.subject
GNED 1308 Canadian Law-Assignment 2 EMPLOYMENT LAW

# data[].attributes.body
Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997, SO 1997, c 16, Sch A
By Terry Baker
Employment law is a broad area of law that regulates the duties and obligations of the employee/employer relationship. This legislation sets minimum standards for employment issues such as minimum wages, vacations, overtime work and pay, termination, and parental leave etc.
The role of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act is to promote workplace health and safety, to facilitate recovery and return to work (with pre-injury employer) or re-entry into the labour market for employees that have experienced a workplace illness or injury, and to provide “loss of earnings” compensation and other benefits for the above mentioned employees.

Steinnagel v Workplace Health, 2016 ONSC 2138 (CanLII)

The plaintiff in this case, Dr.  Brenda Steinnagel has brought this lawsuit against

Workplace Health & Cost Solutions (WHCS) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). WHCS had a contract with WSIB to provide external medical opinions on injured workers. Dr. Steinnagel alleges “wrongful dismissal and breach of contract as against WHCS, she also alleges economic torts, conspiracy and fraudulent conduct as against both defendants and claims damages from them. In essence, she claims that the defendants orchestrated the termination of her contract for an unlawful purpose in furtherance of their pattern of conduct of pressuring physicians to alter their medical opinions in order to deny claimants’ benefits.” (Steinnagel v Workplace Health, 2016 ONSC 2138 (CanLII), 2015)
This case is only at the pleadings stage. Pursuant to “Rule 21 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 194” (Steinnagel v Workplace Health, 2016 ONSC 2138 (CanLII), 2015), the defendants in this case brought motions to have the pleading struck and the action dismissed. The judge found that the plaintiff’s pleading were sufficient and the defendant’s motions were dismissed.

This case is actually an example of tort/employment law. However, it does relate to my topic due to the fact that one of the defendants in the case is WSIB.  The WSIB (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) operates under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.
I chose this topic and this case because I think the plaintiff’s “statement of claim” to be 100% believable due to my own ongoing personal experience with the WSIB. I was permanently injured at work eight years ago. I worked as an assembler for a “feeder” company, making car seats for General Motors. I suffered a repetitive strain injury that has been diagnosed as focal dystonia. Due to this injury, I have lost the use of three fingers of my dominant right hand. My injury was diagnosed by the director of the WSIB Hand Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital and my claim was initially approved as a repetitive strain injury by WSIB. However, approximately a year after my injury (one week before Christmas) and completely out of the blue, my case manager called to tell me that my diagnosis had changed, that my claim was being denied, and the cheque I had received the week before would be my last one. This issue was initiated by a “nurse practitioner,” employed by WSIB. She decided (after reading my file) she was more qualified to diagnose my injury than the director of the WSIB Hand Clinic and she changed my diagnosis to allow the denial of my claim.  It took me three months to straighten this out and have my “loss of earnings” benefits re-instated. This experience was just the first in my ongoing battle with WSIB.

I have to admit, my research on this topic was not compiled specifically for this assignment. I have extensively researched this topic over the last eight years.
What I have learned that most surprised me was that companies receive rebates from WSIB, some of them, soon after being fined for occurrences of employee injury or even death. The monetary value of these rebates are often much more than the fines they received for the death or injury sustained by their employee.
I am most likely to remember that Workers’ Compensation statutes were introduced to guarantee workers the right to compensation for work related illness or accident. Although the original objective of this legislation was protecting the rights of injured workers, I do not believe that the system is accomplishing this.

# data[].attributes.body
http://ofl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014.11.24-Report-WSIB.Exp_.Rating.pdf
This document is the actual report from the Ontario Federation of Labour that is referenced in the 2 preceding videos.

# data[].attributes.body
http://ofl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016.01.29-OmbudsSubmission-PUBLIC.pdf
This document is a submission to Ontario Ombusman regarding the WSIB ignoring the medical opinions of injured workers' treating physician and denying claims and/or treatment directives. The following video references the enclosed report entitled "Prescription Overruled"

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.safetyproductsearch.com/news/how-to-build-a-safety-program/
This is an attempt to reduce the number of workplace injuries and illnesses by raising awareness.

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/5B61Sdg4lFU
This video shows an Ontario MPP asking the Labour Minister to launch an immediate investigation into the practices of the WSIB.
She references a report by the Ontario Federation of Labour called "Prescription Overruled".

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Main Political Parties Of Ontario About WSIB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
NDP MPP Cindy Forster calling for an immediate WSIB investigation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Uploaded by Cindy Forster on 2015-11-05.

# data[].attributes.body
https://youtu.be/5Kknum-llcM
This video shows an advocate speaking at a rally for injured workers. He wants the general public to be informed of the questionable practices by the WSIB.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Injured Workers & Supporters March Around WSIB Head Office To Side Entrance During Rally

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Rally Against WSIB Workers Compensation At Richmond St & Piccadilly St

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Peter Mancini Speaks At The London, Ontario Injured Workers Day On June 1st 2012

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Peter Mancini Of The Institute For Injured Workers Speaking At The Injured Workers' Day Rally At The W.S.I.B. Office Located At 148 Fullarton Street(Talbot Centre) In London, Ontario On Friday, June 1st 2012.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfiz8R3HclM
This video also references the fact that WSIB continuously gives rebates to employers that have received fines due to employees suffering injuries or even death.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Main Political Parties Of Ontario About WSIB

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On November 24, 2014, the OFL released a damning report exposing Ontario's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) for giving millions of dollars to companies convicted of killing workers. Download the full report at: http://ofl.ca/index.php/wsibreport

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SPDUXklpFQ
This video shows an Ontario MPP asking the Labour Minister why companies receive rebates from WSIB, even after employees have been injured or killed on the job. The WSIB is the agency responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
Human Rights & Employment Investigations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.entities[].name
WH Hazards in Construction and Inspector Enforcement Tools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
My Question to Minister of Labour re: WSIB Rebates to Companies Complicit in Workplace Deaths.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Essex MPP calls on Minister to explain why companies continue to receive rebates from WSIB even after their workers have been killed or injured on the job.