OFL stands in solidarity with alliance of occupational disease clusters

TORONTO, Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- An alliance of widows and workers in occupational disease clusters throughout Ontario are speaking out after Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced plans to introduce legislation that would give employers billions of dollars from the "reserve fund" of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). At a press conference this morning with Ontario NDP MPP Wayne Gates, the alliance announced four demands for the government to legislate.

The OFL stands in solidarity with the ODRA's four demands, which include:

• Compensate occupational disease claims when workplace patterns exceed levels in the surrounding community
• Expand the list of compensable diseases presumed work-related
• Use the proper legal standard; not scientific certainty
• Accept multiple exposures combine to cause disease

"The impossible nature of the compensation system forces workers and their mourning widows to play the part of scientists, epidemiologists, researchers, and lawyers," said Patty Coates, Ontario Federation of Labour President. "The burden of proof should not be on injured or ill workers and their families."

The Occupational Disease Reform Alliance (ODRA) came together in recent months for a common cause ? justice for widows and workers of occupational disease. It includes community members from workplace disease clusters spanning the province, from Sarnia to Sudbury, and a shocking number of other cities where clusters are being unearthed.

"It is incredible that workers and widows have organized people across the province, in a virtual world. And it is a scandal that this government would give back to employers, when so many families cannot grieve until justice is served," said Janice Folk-Dawson, Ontario Federation of Labour Executive Vice-President.

ODRA spokesperson, Sue James says, "Many of the clusters have been around for decades waiting for compensation, but some are just joining the fight. We have a continuum of communities across Ontario involved. Who knows, we might grow from there." The most recent national coverage includes a CTV W5 investigation into the Dryden, Ontario cluster.

Sara Sharpe, widow of a GE worker gave an emotional account: "[My husband] had just nicely retired when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer and passed away in two weeks. It was never about the money; who cares about the money. All I ever wanted was to have my husband back, enjoying our retirement, watching his girls grow into beautiful women, walking them down the aisle, seeing his first grandchild."

See here for more stories, and to connect with each known cluster.

The Ontario Federation of Labour represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For information, visit www.OFL.ca and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.

For more information, please contact:
Melissa Palermo 
Director of Communications 
Ontario Federation of Labour
[email protected] l 416-894-3456

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