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Trusted provider of legal services to Building Trades unions
Who is BTWS?
Building Trades Workers’ Services is a non-profit law office owned and operated by unions. Since 1994, we have been representing injured workers in all aspects of their WSIB claims. We have two lawyers and four paralegals on staff with a combined 95 years of experience in the workers’ compensation system.
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Our goals are straightforward: to understand your needs and to ensure that you and your members receive the highest level of legal advocacy and advice when dealing with the WSIB.
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Whether a local union requires case-by-case advice or would like to take advantage of our full start-to-finish service, we’re ready to help as you need. Join our organization to benefit from low-cost, expert legal services for your members.
Meet the Team
The team that advocates for injured workers
Christine Ritchie
Paralegal
Christine has been with BTWS since 2001. She has been a licensed paralegal since 2008 and assists workers with claims management and appeals at the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board, as well as the Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal.
Steve Johnson
Paralegal
Steve has been with BTWS since 2013. Prior to joining BTWS, Steve spent 35 years at WSIB, retiring as a Director in Operations. Steve has made our entire team more effective with his knowledge of the WSIB.
Matt Ferguson
Paralegal
Matt is a licensed Paralegal who graduated in 2012. He joined BTWS in 2019 and he assists workers with claims management and appeals at the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board, as well as the Workplace Safety & Insurance Appeals Tribunal.
Jennifer Aziz
Barrister & Solicitor
Jennifer joined BTWS in 2018 and hails from London, Ontario. She studied Environmental Science and German at McGill in Montreal. She holds a law degree from the University of Toronto, where she was involved with student government and intramural sports.
Tracey Lowe
Paralegal
Tracey has been with BTWS since its founding in 1994, and received her Paralegal license in 2008.
Brad Valley
Barrister & Solicitor
Brad has been with BTWS since 2017, representing workers in all aspects of their WSIB claims. He holds a law degree from the University of Toronto, where he was the co-director of the Advocates for Injured Workers legal clinic.
Services we offer
â–º WSIB claims assistance (starting claims, Early & Safe Return to Work, Work Transition)
â–º WSIB appeals (Appeals Services Division and WSIAT)
â–º Disability benefits appeals (STD, LTD, CPP-D)
â–º Judicial reviews
â–º Occupational Health & Safety Act matters
What Union Members Need To Do
A Guide to WSIB Claims
It is extremely important that anytime there is a workplace injury that Workers immediately report to the Employer and the Union.
The union can ensure that the workplace properly reports the injury to the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), provides assistance with return to work, and claims management.
1. Report any incident immediately
Workers should report and document every incident and/or accidents to union representative, first aid, foreman, and employers/supervisors as soon as possible. (Form 6 – Worker’s report of injury/disease)
2. Report the injury properly
When workers are reporting an incident or accident, always include:
â–º time;
â–º place;
â–º type and cause of injury;
â–º full names of witnesses;
â–º full explanation of how the injury occurred and what they were doing at the time.
3. Collect Witness Information
Ask any witnesses to the incident to write down what they saw, the time and the date, and sign it. This is acceptable proof of an injury. In most situations, the onus is on injured workers to prove that the injury “arose out of and in the courseof employment”.
4. Be consistent in your reports
Consistency in reporting incidents is extremely important when reporting to:
â–º first aid;
â–º employer/supervisor;
â–º hospital admittance;
â–º emergency room doctor and;
â–º worker’s own doctor.
The Board will receive a copy of every one of these reports. Therefore, it is important that each report contains the same information.
5. Let People Know About the Pain You Feel
It is important to tell your health practitioner and people about your pain. This helps establish and document injuries. Continuity of your complaint may help you substantiate your claim later.
6. Keep all Correspondence
It is crucial that workers keep all correspondence concerning the injury and note down verbal conversations.
7. Keep Cool
When talking to the Board, workers should stay calm. Getting angry and threatening the Board will not benefit the workers. Keep in mind the Board documents all incidents.