SIGN THE PETITION!
TAKE ACTION
JOIN the CIWS
What's Wrong with Workers Compensation?
NEWS
Injured Workers' Stories
About Us
Current Activities
Past Activities
Commissions & Reports
Law Court Decisions
Related Articles
Medical Professionals
Employees' Info
Employers' Info
Politicians' Info
Resources
Privacy and Copyright
Contact
Home
SIGN THE PETITION!
|
Back to Article
Index October 13 2007
(Note: The CIWS does not condone or encourage violence
but we report incidents that may involve injured workers in order to expose the
level of frustration and desperation many injured workers reportedly feel about
the WCB system.)
Winnipeg WCB Bomb Scare. "Why do you think I did this?"Disgruntled worker who sparked Winnipeg bomb scare avoids criminal record"The compensation board rejected his claim, forcing Wood into an even deeper funk . . . Wood spent three nights sleeping in his truck, then hit the highway to Winnipeg in a desperate bid to have his voice heard. "Why do you think I did this? CN and the Workers Compensation Board have been screwing us CN workers for years. Make us work injured. I'm just trying to get some attention. I want something done about this.""By: The Canadian Press WINNIPEG -- A disgruntled CN Rail employee won't have a criminal record for causing a three-hour bomb scare that brought downtown Winnipeg to a halt. Forty-nine-year-old Brent Gordon Wood has pleaded guilty to a charge of simple mischief for driving his pickup truck into the front doors of the Workers Compensation Board building in February. Crown attorney John Barr said it would have been difficult to go after Wood criminally or financially for the mayhem he caused because there is no evidence he was deliberately trying to do so. Wood was seen holding a device inside his vehicle moments after the crash and told officers to "evacuate the building." The device turned out to be a remote control for his car seat warmer. Provincial court Judge Rocky Pollock gave Wood a conditional discharge, fined him $1,200 and ordered him to repay the cost of a window he damaged with his vehicle. Hundreds of downtown workers were evacuated from their offices and police blocked traffic for several blocks during the incident. Wood eventually walked out of his vehicle on his own. Defence lawyer Greg Brodsky said his client suffered a painful back and shoulder injury years earlier and felt he was unable to work. He was also struggling with financial and family issues and had a doctor's note from late 2006 suggesting he be placed on disability benefits. The compensation board rejected his claim, forcing Wood into an even deeper funk, which culminated with his wife apparently kicking him out of their family farm near Dauphin in the days prior to the incident, Brodsky said. Wood spent three nights sleeping in his truck, then hit the highway to Winnipeg in a desperate bid to have his voice heard. "Why do you think I did this? CN and the Workers Compensation Board have been screwing us CN workers for years. Make us work injured. I'm just trying to get some attention. I want something done about this. I've been working since '85 with an injured back," Wood told a CBC camera operator as he was being led away by police following his arrest. Brodsky said Wood will be pursuing a new hearing with the compensation board, and is now aware of the appeals process for his rejected claim. Copyright (c) 2007 The Canadian Press http://www.ohscanada.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=74994&issue=10152007(Note: The CIWS does not condone or encourage violence but we report incidents that may involve injured workers in order to expose the level of frustration and desperation many injured workers reportedly feel about the WCB system.) Back to Article Index |