Paramedics file WSIB claims at nearly five times the rate of police as union calls for reversal of cuts

TORONTO, ON – Ontario paramedics file Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) claims at nearly five times the rate of police officers, according to data obtained by the CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario (CACO). The committee, which represents 8,000 paramedics across the province, is calling on the provincial government to reverse planned WSIB layoffs and office closures that will make it more challenging for injured workers to access critical support.

CACO has serious concerns about WSIB’s plan to eliminate roughly 500 jobs and close ten regional offices. The changes would make paramedics less safe and supported, further exacerbating a province-wide retention issue driven, in part, by the exceptional risks that paramedics face in the regular course of their jobs.

Between 2023 and 2025, paramedics filed 5,167 WSIB claims among a workforce of roughly 13,000. That amounts to roughly 397 claims per 1,000 workers.

By comparison, firefighters filed 4,161 claims among approximately 30,000 workers, or 139 claims per 1,000 workers. Police officers, meanwhile, filed 2,146 claims among approximately 25,000 workers, or 86 claims per 1,000 workers.

Paramedics filed claims at nearly three times the rate of firefighters and 4.6 times the rate of police officers.

“Paramedics face extraordinary physical and psychological demands every shift. We lift and carry patients, respond to violent and dangerous situations, and witness traumatic events that stay with us long after the call ends,” said Niko Georgiadis, chair of the CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario. “When we are injured on the job, we need a workers’ compensation system that is there to help us. Eliminating experienced WSIB staff will make an already difficult process even harder for paramedics who need support.”

The WSIB cuts come amid persistent concerns about the inadequate mental health benefits available to paramedics across Ontario.

Full-time paramedics with Niagara Emergency Medical Services receive $3,000 annually in mental health benefits while part-time paramedics receive no mental health benefits. These paramedics, members of CUPE 911, face a possible strike in the coming weeks as they fight for equal support with Niagara police officers who receive $20,000 in mental health benefits annually.

In Peterborough City-County Paramedic Services, full-time paramedics receive only $500 annually for mental health care while part-time paramedics receive no mental health benefits. This group, represented by CUPE 4911, will be in a legal strike position on October 31.

“These gaps show how far we still have to go to ensure paramedics can access the support they need,” said Georgiadis. “Anything that weakens the WSIB will only serve to further hurt paramedics.”

Ontario’s paramedic services are facing significant recruitment and retention pressures. According to the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs, the province falls short by 500 paramedics every year as highly trained and dedicated workers continue to leave the sector, driven by burnout and injuries.

“We cannot expect people to continue doing this work without adequate support when they are injured or struggling with the mental health consequences of their work,” said Georgiadis. “We are calling on Minister Jones to reverse these cuts and closures. Ontario paramedics are there for people when they need help most and we deserve a system that is equally responsive.