Injured workers on Prince Edward Island will soon see reduced wait times for appeals to their claims.
The Office of the Worker Advisor – which is part of the Department of Workforce and Advanced Learning’s Labour and Industrial Relations division – has added temporary resources to process files faster. If an injured worker is not satisfied with a decision of the Workers Compensation Board, they can get advice and information from the worker advisor, and if necessary the worker advisor can represent an injured worker’s appeal to the Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal (WCAT).
“With these additional resources, the Office of the Worker Advisor and Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal will be able to support a record number of hearings this year,” said Workforce and Advanced Learning Minister Sonny Gallant. “More than 20 hearings have been held since January and another 12 are currently scheduled – and the tribunal anticipates surpassing 40 hearings by December. We anticipate wait lists will be reduced significantly by early next year.”
Lawyer Brian Waddell will lead this work over the next few months and present worker appeals at hearings throughout the fall. Nine additional vice chairs have been appointed to WCAT for a total of 12 members who can lead tri-partite appeal panels. In addition, there are five new employer representatives and five new worker representatives to assist the tribunals, for a total of 20 worker and employer representatives. These additional appointees will share the work load so hearings happen more often and are processed quicker.
“Our staff are happy to assist all workers with their concerns,” Labour and Industrial Relations Director Constance Robinson said. “We are helping to ensure all workers feel supported throughout the process and that appeals happen as quickly as possible.”
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Media contact:
Katie MacDonald
Backgrounder
Here are the new Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal appointees (and their home communities).
Vice chairpersons
Robertson Burnett Charlottetown
Jonah Clements Charlottetown
Maureen Gregory, Q.C. Charlottetown
David Hooley, Q.C. Charlottetown
Emily A. MacDonald Charlottetown
Gordon MacFarlane Summerside
Stephen McKnight, Q.C Summerside
Susan Robinson, Q.C. Summerside
Ron Macleod Charlottetown
Employer representatives
Scott Stewart Charlottetown
Robert Smith Montague
Marion Miller Crapaud
Cassandra Goodwin Charlottetown
Diana Lariviere Bonshaw
Worker representatives
Cynthia McCardle Kinkora
Michelle Lafford Charlottetown
Shelley Higgins Charlottetown
Lalana Paul Melville
Marlene Hunt Cornwall