海角社区官网

But after striking employees were allegedly locked out from WSIB systems last week, union executives announced Monday that their members would be going into “full” strike mode, meaning striking employees would no longer alternate between days on the picket line and at work.聽

“Our intention has been to conduct rolling strikes to limit the impact on injured workers in Ontario, but it seems management has other ideas,” OCEU/CUPE Local 1750 Harry Goslin said in a press release Monday.

For its part, the WSIB denies any claims that it has locked out striking employees, although a spokesperson told the Star last week that the provincial Crown agency had “initiated its business continuity protocol” that involves turning off technology and building access for those striking.

The WSIB has also said that聽non-unionized and “hundreds of OCEU members who have elected to continue working” are still answering calls and processing claims, but that people should expect longer telephone wait times and slower responses to “non-urgent inquiries and services.”

At issue in negotiations, according to the union,聽are wages that have not kept up with inflation and “dangerously high” workloads that have allegedly worsened employees’ mental health, including higher rates of depression and anxiety.

These issues over pay and workload are also impacting wait times for the public seeking WSIB services, according to Nicole Francis, chief steward of OCEU/CUPE 1750.

“If they are having a hard time getting letters, responses, whatever they may be,” Francis told the Star from the 海角社区官网picket line Monday, “it’s because of this. It’s because of what we’re complaining about.”

Hundreds of WSIB case managers, nurses and health specialists braved the rainy and cloudy聽weather on Thursday and Friday last week to picket outside the WSIB head offices in downtown 海角社区官网while others marched outside offices in Ottawa, Windsor and elsewhere.聽

The biggest crowd of the strikes so far was out again Monday, stretching from Simcoe and John Streets along Front Street and winding through a parkette between the WSIB and CBC offices. Picketers were back out across the province as well, including at the Ministry of Finance offices in Pickering.

“What do we want? A new contract! When do we want it? Now!,” chanted the striking employees, adorned in blue, hi-vis safety vests and orange OCEU-branded hats, outside the 海角社区官网office.

It聽appears that these unionized employees won’t be back at work anytime soon, with both sides alleging the other is refusing to return to the negotiating table.

On the union side, Francis said that the OCEU has reached out to the WSIB to restart talks, but have heard “nothing” in response.

“I’m very disappointed with the employer,” Francis said, “We’re here to serve the public, and we want to get back to doing our job.”

Meanwhile, the WSIB asserts that it will not return to the bargaining table until the OCEU proposes a counteroffer to the latest offer from the employer聽鈥� which union executives said they rejected due to inadequate wage increases or plans to address employee workload.

“We can’t negotiate with ourselves,” Aaron Lazarus, the WSIB’s vice-president of communications, said in an interview with the Star Monday. “We’ve put an offer on the table and there has not been a counter.”