Injured Workers of Wellington & Dufferin Counties Events
Local IWWDC Injured Worker EVENTS
Re-scheduled IWWDC GROUP ZOOM MEETING
The meeting that was scheduled for Thursday March 18, 2021 unfortunately had to be cancelled due to illness of the organizer.
A new meeting has been re-scheduled for Thursday March 25, 2021 for 3pm(est.) The meeting will be held via ZOOM.
To register for the meeting and to learn more you can click here
Local IWWDC Past Events
Past events have been placed on seperate pages based on the event.
These are located above in the second row of the navigaiton bar.
These past events are the various past events involving injured workers.
This could be events exclsuively held and organized by injured workers
or it can be events held and orgnized by the labour mvoement in general.
It is very important for injured workers to undertand the significance of each of the events,
for your own benefit and for the benefit of others!
Other Events for Injured Workers
The sections below have been setup to provide information about events for or by injured workers.
Due to COVID-19, all in-person events have been cancelled and/or moved online. This is also the case for local injured worker meetings as well. For this reason, I have setup a separate category for Group meetings as many are hosting speaker event sin addition to their regular peer support meetings. I strongly encourage injured workers to attend the meetings as they can be very informative and supportive. There are no regional limits on these meetings. Meaning that if you do not live in their area you are still encouraged to attend.
Ongoing Events
These are events that occur either weekly or monthly.
If you know of events regarding injured workers, PLEASE let me know by e-mail at: fightwcb@gmail.com and I will post it here I will even help you further spread the word by making mention of your event on my social media accounts.
The event can be anywhere in any Province/Territory/State, or Country.
Note I have indicated times above in their local time zones, which are specifically: PST - Pacific Standard Time Zone (GMT-8)
MST - Moutain Standard Time Zone (GMT-7)
CST - Central Standard Time Zone (GMT-6)
EST - Eastern Standard Time Zone (GMT-5)
AST - Alantic Standard Time Zone (GMT-4)
NST - Newfoundland Standard Time Zone (GMT-3:30)
Ongoing Events
These are events that are ongoing on a weekly or monthly basis.
Upcoming Injured Worker Group Zoom Meetings
In this section I have posted injured worker group online zoom meetings that involve injured workers.
As always please be respectfull when attending these events but please make every effort to attend them all as they say Knowledge is Power!
If you know of ZOOM injured worker meetings, PLEASE let me know by e-mail at: fightwcb@gmail.com and I will post it here I will even help you further spread the word by making mention of your event on my social media accounts.
The injur worker meeting can be anywhere in any Province/Territory/State, or Country.
Note I have indicated times above in their local time zones, which are specifically: PST - Pacific Standard Time Zone (GMT-8)
MST - Moutain Standard Time Zone (GMT-7)
CST - Central Standard Time Zone (GMT-6)
EST - Eastern Standard Time Zone (GMT-5)
AST - Alantic Standard Time Zone (GMT-4)
NST - Newfoundland Standard Time Zone (GMT-3:30)
British Columbia Injured Workers Group Zoom Meeting
This is an online meeting event hosted by injured workers in BC.
The ZOOM meetings are generally held on Sundays.
For more information reagrding these meetings, to register for the meetings,
and to request your Zoom link
please Email George at gkavallis@gmail.com
Thunder Bay Injured Workers Tuesday Zoom Meetings
All injured workers are welcomed to join the weekly sessions organized by the Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group.
To receive your Zoom link please email Janet Paterson jlrwpat@tbaytel.net and get added to the email list.
At the meetings, the group has guest speakers that discuss of numerous topics such as education, law reform, community organizing, and many other topics.
The ZOOM meetings are generally held every Tuesday from 10am unitl 12 noon.
The Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group (TB&DIWSG) is pleased to announce their partnership with the United Steelworkers Family and Community Education Fund (FCEF) in coordination with Northwestern Ontario Steelworkers Area Council with the sponsorship of our weekly legal education and support group sessions online.
Thunder Bay Injured Workers Peer Support Zoom Meetings
All injured workers are welcomed to join the weekly peer support meetings organized by the Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group.
These meetings are for injured workers to attend and learn from other injured workers.
The ZOOM meetings are generally held every Thursday from 10am unitl 12 noon.
To receive more information and your Zoom link please email Janet Paterson jlrwpat@tbaytel.net and get added to the email list.
Hamilton Injured Worker group is hosting a meeting every month via Zoom.
The meeting will have speakers and provide invaluable information to injured workers.
All are encouraged to attend.
These meetings are for injured workers to attend and learn from other injured workers.
The next meeting is Wednesday January 27, 2020 at 7pm (est.)
Hamilton Injured Workers’ Group Peer Support Zoom Meetings
Hamilton Injured Worker group is hosting two meetings every week for peer support services. All injured workers are welcomed to join the monthly support meetings organized by the Hamilton Injured Workers’ Group.
Every Tuesday at 10am, beginning January 26th and every Thursday at 7pm, beginning January 28th
To receive more information and your Zoom link please email the group directly at their e-mail addresss: hamiltoninjuredworkers@hdiwg.net
Peel District Injured Workers Injured Worker Peer Support Zoom Meetings
All injured workers are welcomed to join the monthly peer support meetings organized by the Peel District Injured Workers Support Group.
These meetings are for injured workers to attend and learn from other injured workers.
To receive more information and your Zoom link please email the group at: Peelinjuredworkers@gmail.com
Injured Workers of Wellington & Dufferin Counties Peer Support Zoom Meetings
All injured workers are welcomed to join the monthly peer support meetings organized by Injured Workers of Wellington & Dufferin Counties Support Group.
These meetings are for injured workers to attend and learn from other injured workers.
To receive more information and your Zoom link please email the group at injuredworkersofwdc@gmail.com and get added to their email list.
Workers Comp Is A Right Steering Committee (WCIAR)
These are meetings held to plan events in order to raise awareness of the #WorkersCompIsARight Campaign.
The meetings are hosted by the Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic, based out of Toronto Ontario.
The meetings are generally held on Tuesdays at 2pm (EST)but may change. Please contact the meeting host for more information.
To learn more about what #WorkersCompIsARight is go to the following webpage by clicking here.
For more information about this steering committee meetings and to be registered for future Zoom meetings, you can email Francis directly at: pinedaf@lao.on.ca
In conversation with other injured workers, we realized that there is a systemic issue with the workers compensation boards making use of medical doctors to in effect deny legitimate claims for workers compensation.
This has been done in two most common ways.
The first, is when the workers compensation board uses in house medical consultants, which have been commonly and rightfully referred to as “PAPER DOCTORS”, by injured workers and injured worker advocates. These paper doctors will normally review an injured worker’s entire file, including the memos and correspondence sections. Then, in most cases, these paper doctors will recommend to the workers compensation board to reduce, deny, or force an injured worker back to work, regardless of the injured worker’s concerns or of the injured worker’s doctor’s concerns. This recommendation will be based solely on the paper claim file. These doctors will NOT perform any in person examinations.
It is without question the most egregious violation of one’s right to autonomy.
The second is also very commonly used. This is where the workers compensation board will refer, or more accurately force an injured worker to attend an independent medical examiner (IME). This doctor will examine the injured worker, but will, as I like to say act like a southern faith healer, and say you are fully recovered or will be very soon. The basis of the diagnosis and prognosis of this doctor will not be based on any medical evidence and in contrary to any legitimate medical journals or guides. What is even more disturbing is that these doctors and their respective clinics have been found to 1. Being paid considerably more than an injured worker’s doctor and 2. Also receives incentives or bonus for the more claims they get denied.
Another concern that was raised is how the workers compensation boards reimburse our doctors, and other medical treating professionals we see for treatment. Often, they are paid at a rate of 50% less their normal billing fee. They are also fighting for many months to be paid on time by the workers compensation boards. This leads many doctors to refuse to take on patients with work injuries due to the amount of aggravation intentionally caused by the workers compensation boards.
As a result of this realization, I agreed to take on the responsibility of scheduling and holding a meeting. Organizing a group and to invite people who represent, treat injured workers, as well as university researchers who are experts at performing research. I will start the committee up and if desired I can back away from the group or stay active in it.
The first meeting will be held by ZOOM. I will post the registration for the zoom meeting here. I am looking at hosting it on a Sunday afternoon, about 2 to 4pm. This is to accommodate those working and those in the western region of Canada. I will wait a day or so and then set the meeting.
If you and many people are opposed to this day and time, please e-mail me at fightwcb@gmail.com
CRCSSTOHS - Webinar Work Disability Policy and Practices - Mar. 10 - 10:00am EST
This is an webinar event. Two researchers will discuss work disability policy and practices supporting the healthcare and mobility of injured and disabled workers.
More specifically, the researchers will examine which healthcare professionals are recognized by workers’ compensation boards and why is this relevant to the care and return-to-work experience of injured workers, as well as how work disability policy frameworks and programs support or impede Canadians with physical disabilities to engage in work-related travel, or ‘work mobility’.
Presentations:
Katherine Lippel, Distinguished Research Chair in Occupational Health and Safety Law, University of Ottawa, Law Faculty, Civil Law section
Anne Hudon, Assistant Professor, Université de Montréal, Faculty of Medicine, School of Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy Program
Dana Howse, Senior Research Associate, Primary Healthcare Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University
For more information, you can vist the event's page, by clicking here.
WorkersComPIsARight Speaker Serries - Mar. 11th 2:00pm EST
Stop Cutting Our Benefits Based On Pre-Existing Conditions!
As you know, last fall marked the 3rd Anniversary of our Workers' Comp Is A Right campaign. Since then, we have hosted two "Speaker Series" events, on each of our first two core-demands: No More Deeming; and Listen To Our Doctors.
On Thursday, March 11th at 2pm, we will stage another event, this time about our third core demand: Stop Cutting Our Benefits Based on Pre-Existing Conditions.
Please join us for an online conversation (on Zoom and Facebook) to recap, rejuvenate, and further these important demands. The event will feature:
• Health Professionals
• Legal Experts
• Injured Worker Stories
• Strategy Sessions
IWH - 2021 World Congress on Safety and Health at Work - Sep. 19-22
Canada is hosting a global workplace health and safety congress in 2021.
The Institute for Work & Health (IWH) and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) are the national co-hosts of the XXII World Congress on Safety and Health at Work, being held in Toronto September 19-22, 2021. The World Congress, sponsored by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Social Security Association (ISSA), is the world’s largest event for the international occupational health and safety community.
The theme of the 2021 World Congress is Prevention in the Connected Age: Global solutions to achieve safe and healthy work for all.
More information on the 2021 World Congress on Safety and Health at Work can be found at: safety2021canada.com
OHCOW - February is Heart Month: Work-Related Heart Disease - Feb. 24th 10:00am EST
OHCOW is excited to partner with the Center for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH) to offer a public webinar to discuss Occupationally related heart disease in the spirit of February Heart Month.
Speakers will include Dr. Sandra Dorman (CROSH), Andrew Zarnke (OHCOW), and more!
OHCOW International RSI Awareness Day - New Technology - Feb. 26th 10:00am EST<
RSI Day 2021 - Exploring New Horizons Part 4 - New Technology
OHCOW is pleased to announce our free annual international event continues into its 22nd year to increase awareness and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this year’s event will be held virtually only and has been extended from a one-day event to a weekly webinar series for the entire month of February.
Topics: Understanding Industry 4.0 Allison Stephens, Fanshawe College
New Assessment Methods for Above-Shoulder Work and Manual Materials Handling Jim Potvin, UC Berkley/McMaster University
OHCOW's New Office Ergonomics Handbook Part 3 Melissa Statham, OHCOW Windsor; Dwayne Fuchs, OHCOW Thunder Bay
For more information about the event and to register click here.
IWH Speaker Serries - Fragmentation in the future of work: Exploring the impact of the changing nature of work on vulnerable workers - Feb. 23th 10:00am EST
The future of work is characterized by diverse social, technological, economic, environmental and political changes, including artificial intelligence and the automation of jobs, an aging workforce and climate change. These are expected to disrupt every industry, transform working conditions and affect the types and availability of jobs.
Despite a growing discourse on the changing nature of work, there is limited understanding of how the future of work will impact vulnerable labour market groups. In this presentation, Dr. Arif Jetha shares findings from a recently completed horizon scan of peer-reviewed research literature, grey literature and social media. He outlines nine major trends that may shape the future of work and have a specific impact on vulnerable workers.
OHCOW International RSI Awareness Day - Musculoskeletal Disorders - Feb. 19th 10:00am EST
RSI Day 2021 - Exploring New Horizons Part 3 - Musculoskeletal Disorders OHCOW is pleased to announce our free annual international event continues into its 22nd year to increase awareness and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this year’s event will be held virtually only and has been extended from a one-day event to a weekly webinar series for the entire month of February.
Topics: Understanding and Use of WSIAT Discussion Papers Dave Wilken, OHCOW Provincial Office
Dupuytren's Contracture Trevor Schell , OHCOW Sudbury; Nazanin Gholami, CROSH/Laurentian University
OHCOW's New Office Ergonomics Handbook Part 3 Melissa Statham, OHCOW Windsor; Dwayne Fuchs, OHCOW Thunder Bay
For more information about the event and to register click here.
National Class Action Zoom Meeting - Feb. 14th 3pm EST
This is an online meeting event hosted by me the creator of this website.
The purpose of this ZOOM meeting is to confirm there is a genuine issue on a national level of injured workers in Canada being deprived of their lawful right to workers compensation benefits and in what degree.
All injured workers and their families are welcome from everywhere, but please only injured workers and their families!
This is the second ZOOM meeting which is to be held on Sunday February 14, 2020 at 3pm (est.)
To learn more and register for the ZOOM event click here.
Register early, as the system will not allow late registrations!
OHCOW International RSI Awareness Day - Egonomic Tools - Feb. 12th 10:00am EST
RSI Day 2021 - Exploring New Horizons Part 2 - Ergonomic Tools OHCOW is pleased to announce our free annual international event continues into its 22nd year to increase awareness and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this year’s event will be held virtually only and has been extended from a one-day event to a weekly webinar series for the entire month of February.
Topics Introducing the Anthropometrics Calculator Trevor Schell, OHCOW Sudbury/Ottawa
Rapid Upper Limb Assessment David Mijatovic, OHCOW Toronto
OHCOW's New Office Ergonomics Handbook - Part 2 Melissa Statham, OHCOW Windsor; Dwayne Fuchs, OHCOW Thunder Bay
For more information about the event and to register click here.
OHCOW Agricultural Workplace COVID-19 Inspection Initiative and TFAW Safety - Feb. 11th 10:30am EST
Agricultural Workplace COVID-19 Inspection Initiative and TFAW Safety
Ontario COVID-19 Workplace Safety Inspections and Temporary Foreign Agricultural Workers
The Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) has launched its second COVID-19 Inspection Initiative focusing on agricultural workplaces, with a goal to help protect temporary foreign agricultural workers.
Join OHCOW to learn about the details of this initiative from the MLTSD manager responsible for coordinating it, including the opportunity to ask questions. The event is meant to share knowledge and increase understanding of the regulatory framework among community and worker support networks, but is open to all.
Panelists:
- Dr. David Brown: Medical Director, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)
- Michael MacDonald: Manager, Health Services, Jazz Aviation
- Behdin Nowrouzi-Kia: Assistant Professor, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto
- Joe Baiardo: Manager, Paralegal Disability Management Services, Canada Life
For more information about the event and to register click here.
OHCOW International RSI Awareness Day - Office Egonomics - Feb. 5th 10:30am EST
RSI Day 2021 - Exploring New Horizons Part 1 - Office Ergonomics OHCOW is pleased to announce our free annual international event continues into its 22nd year to increase awareness and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders. Due to Covid-19 restrictions this year’s event will be held virtually only and has been extended from a one-day event to a weekly webinar series for the entire month of February.
Topics: Investigating the impact of physical, psychosocial, and behavioural changes related to modern, flexible office settings
For more information and to register for the event click here.
World Cancer Day Webinar this Thursday!
Is Your Cancer Work-Related and what you can do about it?
Up to 1 in 5 cancers are work-related, but frequently go unrecognized and unreported. More than half of OHCOW’s work is dedicated to investigating and determining work-relatedness. Mark World Cancer Day by learning about cancer risks, workplace factors, prevention strategies and how they might relate to you, your family or colleagues.
More than half of OHCOW’s work is dedicated to investigating and determining the work-relatedness of injuries and illnesses based on medical review, exposure history (and science) and epidemiology. Join us to learn and discuss the latest research and workplace knowledge so we can help those impacted now, and prevent such harm in the future.
Feminist Forums - Forum #2: Impact of Women Leaders on COVID-19 and the Feminist Movement
February 2nd, 11am to 12:30pm EST
On behalf of organizer Dr. Betsy McGregor, we are sharing the registration information for two upcoming Feminist Forums funded by Women and Gender Equality.
The Forums are open to the public and registration is free.
Women’s leadership has come to the forefront during COVID-19 — from the frontlines in healthcare to the front pages of global news as Public Health Officers and Prime Ministers. Liverpool University studied some 200 countries, 19 of which were led by women, during the first quartile of COVID-19 asking the question: “Leading the Fight Against the Pandemic: Does Gender ‘Really’ Matter?"
Co-author Dr. Supriya Garikipati will open FORUM#2. Fellow panellists will include activists and academics who were at the Beijing 1995 World Women’s Conference, a First Nations Regional Chief, Canada’s first Black woman in the House of Commons, and next generation leaders from Equal Voice and the Prime Minister’s Youth Council.
Add your voice. Upload your experience on our web under ‘Case Study’. Results from the Forum will be compiled into a Final Report to the Minister in advance of UN-CSW65 and the GEF 2021 propelling parity towards achieving global Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
The Ontario Life After Workplace Injury Study (OLAWIS) is looking at the long-term health and labour market outcomes of workers disabled by work injury or illness after they are no longer receiving benefits or services from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. As part of the study, over 1,130 eligible claimants were interviewed at 18 months post-injury and asked about a wide range of factors, including their work status and income, physical and mental health, case manager and health-care provider interactions, and employer return-to-work support. In this presentation, Dr. Cameron Mustard shares what the researchers have learned so far about this group of injured workers.
Dr. Cameron Mustard is the president and senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. He is also a professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. His research interests include work environments, labour market experiences and health, the distributional equity of publicly funded health and health care programs in Canada, and the epidemiology of socioeconomic health inequalities across the human life course.
This is an online meeting event hosted by me the creator of this website.
The purpose of this ZOOM meeting is to confirm there is a genuine issue on a national level of injured workers in Canada being deprived of their lawful right to workers compensation benefits and in what degree.
All injured workers and their families are welcome from everywhere, but please only injured workers and their families!
The first ZOOM meeting is to be held on Sunday Janaury 31, 2020 at 3pm (est.)
To learn more and register for the ZOOM event click here.
Register early, as the system will not allow late registrations!
The debacle that Doug Ford and Merrilee Fullerton have created in Long Term Care has to be stopped. They cannot continue to claim that there is no staffing shortage in Long Term Care. We have to show this government that they must take action now.
To that end, the Ontario Health Coalition is holding a mass Live-Stream protest on Facebook this Friday January 29th at 10 a.m. and we need everyone to join this event to force Doug Ford to take action on the crisis in Long Term Care.
Horrific front-line stories of woefully inadequate care and safety in Ontario’s long-term care homes have thousands asking how you can help. You can make a difference:
The protest will be interactive & live streamed – Watch online speeches, post your comments & reactions live, join in online actions through the protest, receive “Save Our Seniors” window signs and post pictures, share your stories.
How to join: Go to the Ontario Health Coalition page on Facebook 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Friday January 29 https://www.facebook.com/ontariohealth to watch & join in!
Feminist Forums - Forum #1: Impact of COVID-19 on Women and the Economy
January 26th 11am to 12:30pm EST
On behalf of organizer Dr. Betsy McGregor, we are sharing the registration information for two upcoming Feminist Forums funded by Women and Gender Equality.
The Forums are open to the public and registration is free.
Discussions will focus on the obstacles and opportunities that COVID-19 has created for women in the economy and the impact of women in power and leadership on COVID-19 outcomes around the world.
Panelists will include grassroots activists, delegates at the Beijing 1995 World Women’s Conference, a First Nations Regional Chief, Canada’s first Black woman in the House of Commons, an economist from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, founder of The Prosperity Project, CEO of Canadian Women's Foundation, academics, and next generation leaders from Equal Voice and the Prime Minister’s Youth Council.
The outcome of the panel discussions and feedback provided by participants through the Feminist Forum website will be of great relevance to the development of national commitments in the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) including the Feminist Movements and Leadership Action Coalition which Canada co-leads.
We hope you will join these discussions and share your thoughts on these important topics.
Internationally recognized for his expertise and research on work-related health conditions, Dr. Paul Demers will present and discuss the results of the OCRC data linkage study that resulted in the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) recognizing claims for Parkinson’s related to McIntyre Powder exposure. The study also found elevated rates of Alzheimer’s and motor neuron disease among miners in general as compared to the general population of Ontario.
Participants will have an opportunity to ask Dr. Demers questions about the study, its findings, and future research on the McIntyre Powder miners.
McIntyre Powder is finely ground aluminum dust that was inhaled by over 27,000 Ontario miners between 1943 and 1979, under a compulsory workplace prophylaxis program that was theorized to prevent the lung disease silicosis. Since 2016, OHCOW has been assisting former miners who were exposed to McIntyre Powder, and investigating the work-relatedness of their health issues.
To attend this virtual event you MUST register on Eventbrite by clicking here
More information about OHCOW's Occupational Disease Prevention Winter Webinar Series click here.
The Disability and Work in Canada 2020 (DWC 2020) Conference will be held virtually this year over four days in late November and early December (November 25 & 26 and December 1 & 2) from 12:30-3:30 EDT. The theme for this year’s conference is the Strategy in Action—Pathways and Impacts. Subthemes for each day are:
Wednesday, November 25 – The Big Picture–Challenges and Opportunities
Thursday, November 26 – Progress in the Workplace
Tuesday, December 1 – Strengthening Supports for Workers
Wednesday, December 2 – Moving Forward Together
Since the first Disability and Work in Canada was held in 2017, efforts have been underway to develop a vision and strategy for the future, focused on key initiatives to increase the employment of persons with a disability. A draft strategy was distributed in the fall of 2018 and discussed at the 2018 event. Following consultations across Canada in the spring of 2019, a revised strategy to improve the level of employment of persons with disabilities was reviewed at the 2019 conference, where the focus was also on identifying the most important early steps in implementation.
As mentioned in the video, today September 10, 2020, marks three years since the launch of the #WorkersCompIsARight campaign. This was celebrated by an online event hosted on Crowdcast and YouTube.
The video below really explains what DEEMING is and how badly it impacts injured workers.
This is an annual event, held every year on June 1st, at the Ontario Legislature - Queen's Park, Toronto Ontario. The "Injured Worker Day" event will be held online.
There are several different ways you can join in.
The event will be live June 1st, 2020 at 11am There are sveral different ways you can join th event:
Join the Facebook event by clicking hereFacebook You can stream the event live on YouTube by clicking here You can also register to participate in the event and watch it in your web browser, using crowdcast, by clicking here
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