FTLComm - Regina - November 20 ,1998
In an editorial a couple of weeks ago (The BS
Factor) I expressed my concern about the unusual state of Saskatchewan's Worker's
Compensation Board where the government agency boasts about its diligence in not
paying compensation to injured workers in a new letter. This editorial resulted
in several telephone calls from people injured and wronged by the WCB who can find
no advocate for their woes. I received the following letter this morning that is
perhaps typical of the sort of situation claimants to the WCB experience. To make
it easier to read on line I have extracted what seem to be significant comments and
placed them along the side of the article to help you see the point the writer is
making.
I thought you should see this material because it appears as though there is a giant
fraud in progress. Vast sums of money are being extracted from business every year
to be pooled so that workers injured on the job can be compensated but it looks like
this is not happening. The money, really significant amounts, is being channeled
elsewhere. The government elected officials claim the matter is in the hands of
this board and the board is organised in such a manner that no one can do anything
about it, least of all the injured workers.
The NDP has allowed, and perhaps encouraged WCB mistreatments |
the biggest problems the clients of the WCB must face is the apathy of elected officials |
There is no where outside of the WCB that an individual in conflict can go to get swift justice |
In the last Review process 54 recommendations made---two Acts of legislation were introduced |
the WCB is a cash cow for the Government of the day |
last two years there have been over 75,000 claims |
27,000 of these claims have been accepted |
WCB has reported an excess ... of over $81,000,000 |
the WCB states that they are following the legislation |
many injured workers have had to resort to Social Services |
WCB assessments are a hidden tax on workers and taxpayers |
costs of administering the WCB system have nearly doubled in ..10 years |
rank this province as one of the most dangerous places to work in the industrialized world |
government leaders and policy makers are ignoring this situation |
I was deemed totally unfit for any employment by the Wascana Hospital Re-hab Centre |
WCB ..told me I could return to work only weeks after the Wascana Rehab report |
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" While we do not disagree with the diagnosis, we do not see how this could be so" |
there is a means test to receive WCB benefits |
So then whom does one go to when you disagree with the WCB? | ||||||
First you ask the Client Service Representative to reconsider; usually you must provide new evidence. | ||||||
If that does not work, and it seldom does, you must go to appeal. | ||||||
The appeals staff are former Client Service Representatives who have never been involved in the claimants file. | ||||||
If that doesn't work then you go to a Board level appeal. | ||||||
Then if that does not work, you go to a Medical Review Panel. | ||||||
If the above does not work you can go to the Provincial Ombudsman, who will readily inform you that they have no power over the WCB and cannot make them change their decision. | ||||||
If that does not work it is nearly impossible to get the WCB into court, as they are protected by legislation. The only way to get the WCB into court is to be able to prove that they have strayed too far from their mandate. This is extremely difficult to get, but it has been done and the WCB has lost many cases such as this. |
The WCB claims they have gotten better. | |||||||||||
At what? | |||||||||||
Keeping the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission in the courts so the WCB can deny injured workers their human rights? See: QB 616/1998. | |||||||||||
Invading the privacy of injured workers by asking for forms to be signed that allow the WCB to have complete access to personal income tax information from Revenue Canada? | |||||||||||
Telling the Provincial Auditor to mind his own business when he asks the question, "Who other than injured workers received 32.5 Million Dollars"? | |||||||||||
Taking those that speak out to court to get an injunction and sue them, as was the case with Morley Slinn and Carey Heilman? QB 484/1998. | |||||||||||
Laying false charges against me and taking me to court? | |||||||||||
Not paying the Saskatchewan widows of injured workers? | |||||||||||
Only paying approximately 30% of the claims they receive? | |||||||||||
In a one year period from April 97 to April 98 going to court in Regina alone seventeen times? | |||||||||||
The Saskatchewan Doctors met in November of 1998 and one of the topics brought up was the problems they are having with the WCB. | |||||||||||
How many injured workers have committed suicide? This is a number that no one wants to know, I know of three in the last few years. |