Striking workers ratify new deal with WSIB; back to work on Monday

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Unionized workers at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) have ratified a new agreement, ending a nearly two-month-long strike.The Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE), which represents more than 3,600 frontline members, says workers will be back on the job first thing Monday.News of the agreement came after union president Harry Goslin said he received a personal phone call from Premier Doug Ford last week, which he called “direct and productive.”While details of the agreement have not been released, wages, workloads, and the outsourcing of 26 Ontario jobs to a U.S. company were said to be key points in the negotiationsAccording to the WSIB, its last offer called for wage increases totalling 6.75 per cent over three years, which would see the average salary rise from $98,000 to over $104,500. As well, the board said it would dedicate full-time resources to work with the joint workload committee to address caseload concerns and identify root causes.Workers staged the first strike in the agency’s 111-year history on May 22 after talks on a new contract with the board broke down.The WSIB provides wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to those who have work-related injuries and illnesses.