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To: The Honorable Carla Qualtrough: Ministry of Labour: Minister for Jobs, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion.

Disabled Workers in Canada Seek Section 7 Charter Protection

November 30th, 2020

Hon Carla Qualtrough
Minister of Labour
House of Commons *
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada
K1A 0A6
Email: [email protected]

Honorable Minister Qualtrough:

Injured, ill and disabled workers have suffered harms seeking fair treatment through administrative justice procedures in Canada for a generation. Law, policy and regulations governing Canada's worker's compensation and safety systems empowers provincial worker's compensation agencies, employers and provincial governments to deny legitimate worker claims for injury and/or illness; physically and psychology suffered by workers in the course of our employment.

Negative outcomes include: imposition of poverty; denial of required professional healthcare services; infliction of psychological harm by way of what's coined sanctuary traumatization; moral injury to worker's families; and in most tragic circumstances, worker death to suicide.

We propose that Provincial/Territorial Workers Compensation Law, Policy and Regulations as drafted and in force today, November 30th, 2020: persist in causing egregious harm to injured, ill, and/or disabled Canadians and by proxy to our families.

We further propose, that as law, policy and regulations are drafted with clear intent to favor compensation agencies, employers and governments: Canadian workers are disempowered when consequences of workplace accidents and exposure result in our need for financial compensation for healthcare, retraining, rehabilitation, recovery and in cases of disability, a earnings loss pension and whatever care is needed moving on through our lives.

When expected protection is denied, avenues for redress are effectively blocked. Due to intentionally constructed language in law, policy and regulations that impedes our timely access to receipt of appropriate justice: struggling for some lasts our remaining life-times.

Injustice demands Justice. Restorative Justice that wrongs are expressed and corrected for.

We believe that the Federal Minister for Jobs, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion is the appropriate representative of the the Government of Canada to whom we raise these concerns.

This is not an official petition; rather, this letter intends to gather as many signatures as possible for purposes of exploration. We do so as those provisions in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms allow.

We are seeking our Government of Canada's protection. As we begin this campaign, we're informed that thousands of Canadian Workers have suffered such egregious violation of rights for over a generation. In British Columbia, this letter represents 280 BC abandoned workers.

We call on the Minister to proactively intervene. These matters demand a National Public Inquiry be initiated in due course by the Government of Canada, which is what we've written you to request.

We await any reply with united resolve.

Respectful Regards,

Darren Michael Gregory
5474 Cory Road
Wynndel BC V0B 2N1
November 30th, 2020

Why is this important?

The purpose of the inquiry we request is to determine the extent of harms put upon injured, ill and/or disabled Canadians in provincial and territorial jurisdictions nationally.

We raise these concerns to ensure as well our own full and fair redress in the form of workers compensation benefits as we are entitled to receive and rightly, legitimately deserve.

We believe that only with a National investigation of provincial law, policy and regulations that govern provincial/territorial occupational health and safety can troubling issues be properly rectified.

Those agencies and agents so empowered by law, policy and regulations have not responded to our direct engagement to address these issues with integrity.

As these issues are of long-standing national concern, we assert that the concerns receive the attention that these matters require as it is in the National interests of all Canadians to do so.

How it will be delivered

This letter will be delivered to the Minister by Email at the close of this campaign.

Links

Updates

2020-12-01 06:32:25 -0500

https://youtu.be/v8zEkJ0zIpc

2020-12-01 06:28:32 -0500

https://youtu.be/PgQnLXazdSg

2020-12-01 06:11:25 -0500

The above referenced circumstances represent Constitutional concerns. To accept status quo, leaves the provisions of our Charter quite shamefully meaningless. Continued abandonment of those workers denied compensation supports, will push us ultimately into other government service systems.

This can only serve to stress other social safety net benefits systems further than these systems are already stressed enough to limit the benefit incomes available. Income supports for disabled Canadians provided by provincial and the federal governments are abysmally below any reasonable estimates of poverty income across the country.

Therefore, the request for a National Public Inquiry is in both the interests of those in current jeopardy; and is in the interests of all Canadians nationally: which justifies calling on the Federal Minister for Jobs, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion for intervention.

2020-12-01 06:10:41 -0500

We assert that a National Public Inquiry is necessary to move our compensation systems and governments to provision of compensation benefits to workers injured, made ill, and/or disabled in the course of employment as civil society expects. In order to protect the health, financial, and psychological wellbeing of workers and our families currently struggling, as well as to protect any workers and family in future, we approach the Minister with confidence. We assert that should the Minister refuse to call for this inquiry: harms and human rights abuse of workers and families will persist.

2020-12-01 04:46:46 -0500

In regard to my personal compensation matters that are currently before the Chief Review Officer of WorkSafeBC: I declare, non-violent peaceful protest. I hereby further declare, it is my position that the Workers Compensation Act 2002 and all subsequent amendments to the Act, through to the year 2020 as last amended, I consider the Act as illegitimate. The law empowers human rights abuse and is therefore simply unjust.

Therefore, in the Province of British Columbia, I hereby demand of the Chief Review Officer of WorkSafeBC that she exercise the agency's currently legislated discretion to invoke a full review of all matters associated with my personal case. Further, there are 280 BC discarded workers standing beside me. Each one deserves the same attention from WorkSafeBC.

In fact, we will at this point settle for nothing less.

Darren Gregory. December, 1st, 2020.

2020-12-01 01:55:12 -0500

Our human rights record at home is abysmal. Champions strive for expressing our very best. While we've opportunity that the current pandemic provides, I ask fellow citizens to consider that regardless of whether or not this specific concern applies to you: Realize that it is as human beings we are equals.

Realize as well that the rights we fight to enjoy as disenfranchised Canadians belong to you. To enjoy rights protection, we are obliged to stand up for human rights protection of all.

We ask you to support your fellow Canadians. Disability can happen to anyone. In a heartbeat, our lives change without warning. By signing this letter in support, you're not only standing up for disabled workers and other disabled Canadians.

By signing: You stand up for yourself and for those rights we take for granted.

Be Well.

Darren Gregory
www.traumarecoverybc.com

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-rights-protection-canada-charter-freedoms-must-come-gregory/

2020-12-01 01:54:31 -0500

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada secures human rights protection for all Canadians. After four decades, it's time for the Charter to come of age. If we are to accept praise as a nation that champions human rights . . . .

We must clean up our domestic human rights protection record and align ourselves as a developed nation in law, legal and governance structures to accept our international reputation.

2020-12-01 00:31:23 -0500

10 signatures reached

2020-11-30 22:18:18 -0500

As this campaign unfolds, I hope to bring to our side, every individual Canadian, from all groups associated with those protections the Canadian Charter identifies as vulnerable to discrimination: it's time civil society agree to learn in Canada what our obligations to one another are as outlined in our Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The Canadian Constitution is our nation's most supreme law. Therefore, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, being held within our Constitution, is the first most important law in our country that we've each obligation to comply.

The long-run personal goal in starting this campaign: There are so many I've met along the road hoping to recover. There are thousands suffering needlessly. Simply due to ill-mannered drafting of legislation that intends this very outcome.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/human-rights-protection-canada-charter-freedoms-must-come-gregory/