On May 21, 2025, over 3600 unionized employees of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), represented by CUPE 1750, began strike action after contract negotiations stalled.
Core Impacts:
Appeals Suspended: All appeal activity and related decision-making has been paused. Hearings, appeal deadlines and submission due dates are on hold.
Time-Limit Grace Period: The WSIB has instituted a grace period on objection and appeal deadlines effective from May 21, 2025 until services resume. This mirrors previous practices during COVID-19 and Canada Post Strike, where the WSIB extended objection periods by 60 days. However, no exact time period has yet been provided and will remain unknown until the labour dispute is over.
Ongoing Claims and Payments: Loss of Earnings (LOE) and Health Care Benefits (HCB) continue to be paid, though initial or pending claim decisions (and payments) may be delayed.
Online Services: The WSIB’s digital services remain active. Employers and workers can still report injuries, submit documents, register businesses, and view claim/payment details.
Customer Service: Phone lines remain open (7.30am to 5.00pm, Mon-Fri) but only for urgent requests like fatalities/serious injuries, workers being off work and not being paid. The wait times are extensive. Direct line numbers for the bargaining unit employees are not manned and are not accepting messages. Managers and Directors and other management staff have been deployed to provide some support in Service Delivery, but will be allocated on urgent or identified basis only.
The WSIB’s website provides “service updates” to notify stakeholders of updates related to the labour disruption. We encourage employers to monitor the WSIB website for announcements on service changes, time-limit extensions, and operational updates.
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal (WSIAT) is not impacted by the WSIB labour disruption. All appeals activities at the Tribunal remain active and continue as planned.
