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Paramedics file WSIB claims at 4.6 times the rate of police
WSIB plans to cut about 500 jobs and close 10 regional offices. Ontario’s paramedic union says the workers who get hurt most often will pay for it.
01 Dispatch
The job that injures the people who answer the call
Every shift, Ontario paramedics lift and carry patients, walk into violent scenes and see things most people never will. When they get hurt, they rely on the province’s workers’ compensation system to help them recover.
“We lift and carry patients, respond to violent and dangerous situations, and witness traumatic events that stay with us long after the call ends.” Niko Georgiadis, chair, CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario
02 On scene
The system they rely on is shrinking
The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) plans to eliminate roughly 500 jobs and close 10 regional offices. The CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario (CACO), which represents 8,000 paramedics, says the changes will make it harder for injured workers to get support.
Ten WSIB regional offices are set to close
About 500 WSIB jobs would also be eliminated under the plan.
Source: CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario, Oct. 30, 2026.
“Eliminating experienced WSIB staff will make an already difficult process even harder for paramedics who need support.” Niko Georgiadis
03 Assessment
Fewest workers, most claims
The union’s case rests on who files the claims. Using WSIB claims data it obtained for 2023 to 2025, CACO compared paramedics with the province’s two other front-line emergency services.
Paramedics are the smallest of the three workforces, but they filed the most claims
Rank by approximate workforce size vs. rank by WSIB claims filed, 2023–2025
View as a table
| Occupation | Approx. workforce | Claims, 2023–25 |
|---|---|---|
| Paramedics | 13,000 | 5,167 |
| Firefighters | 30,000 | 4,161 |
| Police | 25,000 | 2,146 |
Source: WSIB claims data obtained by the CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario. Workforce sizes are approximate.
The rate
Claims per 1,000 paramedics, 2023–2025
397
That works out to roughly 397 WSIB claims for every 1,000 paramedics over three years.
Source: CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario. Rates as calculated by CACO.
For every 1,000 workers, paramedics filed 397 claims. Police filed 86.
Each square is one WSIB claim per 1,000 workers, 2023–2025 combined.
View as a table
| Occupation | Claims per 1,000 workers |
|---|---|
| Paramedics | 397 |
| Firefighters | 139 |
| Police | 86 |
Source: CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario. Figures are three-year totals, not annual rates.
04 Treatment
A claims gap, and a benefits gap
The union says the cuts land on top of thin mental health coverage. In Niagara, a police officer receives $20,000 a year in mental health benefits. A full-time paramedic receives $3,000. A part-time paramedic receives none.
Niagara police get $20,000 a year for mental health care. Part-time paramedics get nothing.
Annual mental health benefits, as reported by CUPE
- Niagara police officer$20,000
- Niagara EMS paramedic, full-time$3,000
- Peterborough paramedic, full-time$500
- Niagara EMS paramedic, part-time$0
- Peterborough paramedic, part-time$0
Source: CUPE news release, Oct. 30, 2026. Peterborough figures are for Peterborough City-County Paramedic Services. No police comparison was reported for Peterborough.
05 Transport
Ontario comes up 500 paramedics short every year
According to the Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs, the province falls short by 500 paramedics every year as trained workers leave the sector, driven by burnout and injuries.
The annual shortfall, in people
Each empty outline stands for 10 paramedics the province is short each year.
Source: Ontario Association of Paramedic Chiefs, as cited by CUPE, Oct. 30, 2026.
“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.” Niko Georgiadis
06 Handover
What this means for you
CACO is calling on Minister Jones to reverse the WSIB cuts and closures. Whatever happens next, employers of front-line workers have a few things to think about now.
- Know your WSIB contact. If a regional office near you closes, find out who will handle your workers’ claims before someone is injured.
- Check how part-timers are covered. Both paramedic services named by the union give part-time staff no mental health benefits. See whether your plan draws the same line.
- Plan for psychological injury. The union points to trauma as much as lifting. Return-to-work and support plans should cover both.
- Watch Niagara and Peterborough. Niagara paramedics face a possible strike. Peterborough paramedics have been in a legal strike position since Oct. 31. Settlements there could reset expectations elsewhere.
