Statement on behalf of Kevin Rebeck, President of the Manitoba Federation of Labour:

Many Manitobans are going to work to be there for us during the COVID-19 pandemic. From health care to grocery stores to public services, these Manitobans are putting themselves at greater risk to exposure to COVID-19 on the job. 

We need to make sure that the right type of workers compensation coverage is in place for them, and the right type of coverage is called presumptive. So far, the Pallister government has failed to commit to presumptive workers compensation for COVID-19.

The claims process for this coverage would be easier for workers to navigate, and would get them the supports they need more rapidly. We should not force workers who are exposed to COVID-19 on the job to go through a longer, more difficult claim process. 

We call on the Minister of Finance to commit that workers compensation coverage for exposure to COVID-19 on the job will be provided on a presumptive basis, as it is with post-traumatic stress disorder. 

We owe it to the Manitobans who are showing up for us in this pandemic to have the right workers compensation coverage in place for them. The time to act is now.