Brian Langille, professor of labour law, introduced Ms. McDonough. Of particular interest to the AIW crowd, she drew attention to recent changes in the Workers' Compensation Act, now the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act. This transfer has come when the WSIB is dealing with an unfunded liability and has meant that injured workers are experiencing increased resistance in having their claims met for time loss benefits and medical and vocational rehabilitation. Ms. McDonough said that Canada has been built on immigration and richly rewarded for it. Ms. McDonough spoke about the need for a greater sense of community among Canadians.
Community means the greater sharing of wealth.
It also means that governments cannot let market forces alone dictate the economic organization of Canada. In the mid-1970s, a group of U of T law students and others formed UIW to help injured workers. Particularly vulnerable were those in the construction trades, who were not unionized, and also tended to be post-war immigrants. In the late 1980s, the UIW moved to Kensington-Bellwoods Community Legal Services and changed its name to Advocates for Injured Workers. Just last year, AIW moved in with the Industrial Accident Victims Group of Ontario, which specializes in workers compensation.