THE THREE STOOGES - ENVIRONMENT, LABOUR & TRANSPORTATION

Just to be fair there are other provincial ministries which careful examination over decades will convince you are also either incompetent, corrupt, or poorly managed. Justice is one that comes to mind quickly. Interestingly these provincial ministries don't appear to either improve or get much worse regardless of which party is currently in power.

Today we'll look at the Ministry of Labour and the Workman's Compensation Board (ie. WSIB). Oh by the way I long ago nicknamed it Larry. The Ministry of Transport I call Curly and of course the Ministry of Emvironment is Moe.

Today's Waterloo Region Record carries the following story titled "Worker's compensation system needs overhaul, expert says". The funniest line in a non-funny story is "His report could lead to a modernizing of the way Ontario assesses workers' claims for restitution-a contentious issue today after sick or injured employees gave up their right to sue their employers more than a century ago." Yes I remember it well. There was a huge referendum and lots of media and overall explanations by government reps along with guarantees of worker input into the decision making of the Compensation Board. Bull....!

The expert Dr. Paul Demers is pulling no punches when he states that "The workers' compensation system is over 100 years old , and it hasn't kept up with the times." He also has stated that "...it has failed to adapt to the hazards some work[places have exposed people to."

The science behind workplaces causing cancer and other diseases has been with us for decades and even longer. It is a huge red herring pretending that simply more knowledge and more science are required. What is required is more humanity, more compassion and especially more honesty all in short supply with those in charge of our compensation and labour laws.

O.M.G. IS THIS MORE OF THE OLD "PASSING THE TRASH"?

I first came across this expression "passing the trash" back in the early 2000's when the K-W Record was filled with stories about Ron Archer and his pedophile ways at the Waterloo Region District School Board (WRDSB). The story earlier this week in the Record is titled "Former school VP jailed on sex charge now faces five more charges." Teachers and possibly even a principal or two used the expression to describe the WRDSB standard operating procedure of transferring problem teachers to different schools when their behaviour or other problems got to the point of those in charge no longer being able to deflect, excuse, deny, or cover up. Apparently Ron Archer in his twenty years at the WRDSB had been transferred repeatedly allowing the new schools to lie to parents complaining about his behaviour by saying oh he came to us with excellent credentials and reputation and we have no idea what you are talking about regarding his provocative behaviour with children. I and my wife were lied to in this same fashion by school authorities in regards to another matter.

We now learn that teacher Rueben Lazar had been transferred six times in a thirteen year career with the Board. The first five on the list were public schools and the last one was a high school. That in itself is interesting as the students would have been older and likely more aware of innuendos or even subtly inappropriate behaviour I would think. Regardless this expansion from one criminal conviction resulting in a ten month jail sentence to an additional five charges involving two more alleged victims is very concerning. I repeat my question in the title of this posting namely : "Is this more of the old "passing the trash"? Does the WRDSB continue this practice despite their public claims years ago that they had stopped doing it?