Workers' compensation legislation was introduced in Ontario in 1915. It would not have taken the form that it did without the concerted efforts of and protests by injured workers and the labour movement. Injured workers' struggles to raise benefit payments, reform the administration of workers' compensation and set in place meaningful rehabilitation programs kept them at the centre of political controversy in the 1960s and 1970s. These struggles reached their apex in June 1983, and shortly thereafter, many of the injured workers' demands were met by legislative amendments.

Under this theme, we will analyse the relationship between the organisation and social/political movements of injured workers, and workers' compensation in Ontario from the 1960s to the present day. It will build on research undertaken by Dr. Robert Storey and the Injured Workers' History Project (IWHP) team over the past two years. Their research has focused mostly on Toronto-area workers from 1960 to 1985. Two projects will be completed in Phase 1 (years one to three) and two projects in Phase 2 (years four and five).