Message from Chair and CEO
On behalf of David Chezzi (President and Chair of the Board) and Michael Roche (CEO) we welcome you to the 2023-2024 Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. Annual Report.
April 1, 2023 marks the beginning of the second year of our 4-year Strategic Horizon Plan. The plan gives strategic directions, priorities with different lens perspectives, and a Balanced Scorecard measuring framework. During this fiscal year using the Balanced Scorecard lens and our key performance indicators the Board reviewed the plan and confirmed that that we are on track to complete all the component parts of our strategy.
Our Board and Local Outreach Committees (LOC) provide the strategic direction to our organization as well as an outreach component to assist us in getting information into the hands of workers. This type of active feedback included a combined Board/LOC special session in January to look at engagement and our reach to try to meet the needs of the Workers of Ontario.
Fiscal year 23-24 saw some additional funding from the Ministry. This included both funding for clusters and one-time funding for the Silica Control Tool project, the Temporary Foreign Worker outreach and empowerment project, Ergo Tools project and Heat Stress Prevention Toolkit project. The Temporary Foreign Worker program also received one time funding from both the TNO and TeamWork organizations. The result of this additional funding was a tremendous opportunity to create tools, products and services that will assist the Workers of the province.
Furthermore, we want to acknowledge our Staff and Physicians who continue to do an outstanding job. This includes work on patient cases at the clinic level as well as several clusters. Related to patient work, we perform ongoing surveillance, assessment, and determination of work-relatedness, as well as generating reports that provide up-to-date medical scientific decision making.
Related to our operational work, it includes three main program areas — Occupational Disease, Workplace Mental Health, and Injury Prevention. All three have robust operational plans with key objectives and timelines.
We thank you for your interest in our 2023-2024 Annual Report and encourage you to explore the rest of the report and learn more about the many wonderful accomplishments of our organization.
David Chezzi
President and Chair of the Board
Michael Roche
Chief Executive Officer
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About OHCOW
The Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. (OHCOW) is a unique organization dedicated to protecting workers and their communities from occupational illness, disease, and injury; to support their capacity to address occupational hazards; and to promote the social, mental,and physical well-being of workers and their families.
We strive to accomplish this through the identification of workplace factors which are detrimental to the health and well-being of workers; by empowering workplace parties to make positive occupational health changes in their workplace and by providing information, knowledge, and organizational skills to the workplace parties to eliminate work practices that cause injury, illness, and disability.
We are a small organization of experienced and dedicated staff striving to make a significant impact in these key areas by learning from workers (and workplaces), leveraging research, translating knowledge, developing tools, and especially, cultivating partnerships and networks to broaden reach and impact. Together, we are making a difference.
Internal Process Updates
Getting Feedback from our Users and Stakeholders
In December, an online survey was created for LOCs, OHCOW leadership and other stakeholders to get their feedback on OHCOW’s social media and web presence. After distributing the survey by email and analyzing the results, a meeting on the evening of January 31 was organized to follow up with a discussion about use of and exposure to OHCOW's on-line presence.
The evening was chaired by OHCOW President and Chair of the Board, David Chezzi. New developments such as the 35th anniversary were introduced, including the Anniversary logo, and a planned online news article with historical content celebrating the occasion. Some of the clinics were thinking about Open House celebrations later in the year. New promotional items for LOC's to hand out at in-person events, such as trade shows, were featured and include posters, pens, the popular stress reliever toy cows and other items. A review and discussion of the results of the survey took place, involving a presentation of the analytics from the website, newsletter, and social media. To gather general information from the attendees, SLIDO Polls were conducted about working conditions and what they saw as major work challenges. Questions were also posed about hazards in their workplaces, and their use of OHCOW apps and other resources.
Other exciting developments coming down the pipeline for OHCOW were featured. A presentation on the Silica Control Tool was delivered by Kimberley O’Connell, a major OHCOW initiative to address the hazards of silica among construction workers and others. Trevor Schell and Val Wolfe presented the updated ergo tool, demonstrating how it worked and the improvements that were made.
The meeting was a successful outreach initiative to gather vital information on the effectiveness of our social platform and web content.
An accessible organization is one that actively removes barriers and creates an inclusive environment for all individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. OHCOW is a place where diversity is celebrated, and everyone has equal access to opportunities, resources, and services. By prioritizing accessibility, OHCOW demonstrates a commitment to social responsibility and fosters a culture of empathy and respect. Our approach not only benefits individuals with disabilities but also enhances the overall experience for employees, customers, and stakeholders, making it a cornerstone of modern, ethical business practices.
Accessibility is crucial in the workplace for several reasons:
- Physical accessibility: Ensuring an accessible workplace is key to creating a disability-inclusive environment. OHCOW makes the needed adjustments for those who require them.
- Assistive Technology & Equipment: OHCOW makes assistive technology available to employees that need them helping employees to perform their jobs effectively and efficiently.
- Diversity Training: OHCOW is committed to diversity in the workplace and incorporates annual respect in the workplace training for all staff and various stakeholders. A diverse workforce that includes people with disabilities brings unique perspectives and innovative solutions to the table.
- Reduced Stress: OHCOW has embedded its values into lived experiences through the implementation of the RIISE program. RIISE reflects OHCOW values and empowers its employees to recognize each others’ efforts.
- Legal Compliance: At OHCOW we are committed to AODA compliance, evidenced by our multi -year accessibility planning available on our website and our WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliant website we are ensuring in person and virtual accessibility for all.
Workplace accessibility is not just about compliance; it’s about creating a supportive, inclusive, and equitable environment that benefits everyone. It’s a strategic and ethical approach that leads to better productivity and innovation, as OHCOW continues to be a socially responsible organization.
Top 25 Exposures April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024
April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2024
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Board of Directors
Dave Chezzi - CUPE
President and Chair of the Board,
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Tracie Edward - ETFO
Vice-Chair and Vice-President
Scott Richardson - LOC Chair
Treasurer
Bob DeMatteo - OPSEU
Secretary
Natasha Luckhardt - OFL
Member-at-Large
Andréane Chénier - LOC Chair
Debora De Angelis - UFCW
Mark Ellerker - Hamilton Brandtford Building Trades
Allan Warrington - ONA
Russ Archibald - LOC Chair
Laura Lozanski - LOC Chair
Rona Eckert - CUPW
Sylvia Boyce - USW
Vinay Sharma - UNIFOR
Diane Parker - LOC CHAIR
Gavin Jacklyn - OPFA
Janet Paterson - ONIWG, Thunder Bay District
John Bartolomeo - Workers' Heaht and Safety Legal Clinic
Michael Roche - OHCOW
NON-VOTING
Catherine Petch - LOC Chair
NON-VOTING
Local Outreach Committee Chairs
Leigh Kittson, Hamilton LOC Chair, Teamsters Rail
Nelson Pereira, Hamilton Vice Chair,
UFCW, Guelph District Labour Council
Laura Lozanski, Ottawa LOC Chair, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) Local 225
Lee-Anne Feltham, Ottawa LOC Vice-Chair, Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
Andréane Chénier, Sudbury LOC Chair, CUPE
Diane Parker, Thunder Bay LOC Chair, ONA
Scott Richardson, Windsor LOC Chair
Catherine Petch, Toronto LOC Chair, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre,
Local Outreach Committee
Hamilton
Leigh Kittson, Hamilton LOC Chair, Teamsters Rail
Bruce Allen, Community, Niagara District Labour Council
Roxanne Bond, ATU, Brantford District Labour Council
Rob Butler, Community
Phil Hames, PWU
Ron Wells, USW
Jody Jones, OFL
Peter Page, Hamilton District Injured Workers Group
Vice-Chair: Nelson Pereira, UFCW, Guelph District Labour Council
Gillian Surette-Robinson, UWHH
Kevin Waycik, Hamilton Firefighters
Ottawa
Laura Lozanski, Ottawa LOC Chair, Canadian Office and Professional Employees Union (COPE) Local 225
Cheryl Baker, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)
David Chezzi, OHCOW President and Chair of the Board
Ana Bettencourt-Dasilva, CUPE 503 H&S coord
Lee-Anne Feltham, Ottawa LOC Vice-Chair, Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO)
Mackenzie Daybutch
TOH-Indigenous Program Coordinator
Christopher Gervais, WHSC
Paul LaHaise, Algonquin College
Louise Lanctot, Cornwall District Labour Council
Jeff Leiper, City Counsellor
Sean McKenny, Ottawa District Labour Council
Olivier Melanson, CUPE
Kim Monette, Ottawa LOC Recording Secretary, Workers Health & Safety Centre
Kimberly O’Connell, Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW)
Nancy Ripley, Leeds and Grenville Labour Council (Brockville)
Debbie Scrivens, Community Representative
Erin Smith, Labour WSIB Representative – Local 503
Ben Treidlinger, Renfrew Labour Council
Sarnia
Sandra Kinart, VOCV (Victims of Chemical Valley)
Michele LaLonge-Davey, VP CUPE 1238
Kim Marshall, WHSC
Ted Hext, UNIFOR
Kristina Lee, Community Member
Chad Hogan, LIUNA
Blair Allin, Boilermakers Local 128
Sudbury
Andréane Chénier, Sudbury LOC Chair, CUPE
Michel Seguin, Secretary, Conseil Scolaire Catholique
du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO)
Courtney Lesse, CROSH- Center for Research in Occupational Safety and Health
Scott Florence, Sudbury Workers Education & Advocacy Centre (SWEAC)
Jessie Metelka, Community member
Pat Striewe, Community Member
Sean Staddon, United Steelworker 6500 (USW)
Tina Rinta, USW 2020
Thunder Bay
Diane Parker, Thunder Bay LOC Chair, ONA
Audrey Gilbeau, Nokiiwin Tribal Council
Chris Nicholas, Summit Pipeline Services
Eugene Lefrancois, Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group
Rod McGee, Ontario School Board Council of Unions
Vicki Kristman, Lakehead University
Janet Patterson
Jules Tupker, Thunder Bay Health Coalition
Catherine Hicken, OWA
Toronto
Catherine Petch, Toronto LOC Chair, Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre,
Inderdeep Sidhu, Workers United Canada
Monia Kosciejew, Prevention Link
Andrew Falotico, ATU
Joe Bishop, Teamsters
Manjit Parmar, CUPE
Eddy Grisolia, retired OWA / community member
Loreen Gale, ETFO
Lisa Barker, CUPE
John Lawrence, CUPW
Diana Periera, PSAC/CEIU
Pamela Boniferro , Dufferin Peel Education Resource Worker’s Association
Windsor
Scott Richardson, Windsor LOC Chair
Frank Butler, Workplace Health and Safety Centre (WHSC)
Norbert Wenzel, WSIB Appeal Representative
Judy Lund, Management/Community
Doug Boughner, UNIFOR
Larry Girard, WOHIS
Barb St. Pierre, Community Member
Nicole Simpson, Labour
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