* AlO- The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, February 27, 2002

Workers’ group leery
of WCB assistance

JIM SMITH says there’s a
growing number of people
dealing with what he calls

“constant denial” of
claims by the Workers’
Compensation Board

(WCB) for people injured
on the job.

Smith, a representative
for the Northwest Injured
Workers’ Association, says
dealing with the compen-
sation board is enormously
complex and fraught with
unneccesary red tape,

People are telling him
they're frustrated’ by the
claims process and are left
feeling helpless.

“They are completely
lost and they have no idea
how to deal with a system
like this,” Smith says.

He adds an increasing
number of people in Ter-
race are showing interest
in the workers’ associa-

Jim Smith

tion, a new group formed
late last year. It discusses
strategies for dealing with
problem WCB claims and
offers support for injured
workers and their families.

It meets once a month

and at its last meeting,
local WCB official Ken
Beddie answered ques-
tions.

“No matter how serious
your injury is it seems
there is constant denial,”
Smith says. “WCB seems
to think that unless you're
missing a limb that you're,
not injured.”

He adds many people
are dealing with persistent
injuries that make it im-
possible to continue work-
ing yet the compensation
board forces them back on
the job.

“A large majority of the
cases we are dealing with,
WCE has forced these
people back to their jobs
where they are reinjuring
themselves or making their
injury worse,” Smith says.

He said the group has
more than 100 members.

Gov't fills vacancies
on the college board

A TERRACE man is one
of six new members who
have been appointed to the
Northwest Community
College board.

John Nester, former pre-
sident of the Northwest
Loggers Association, is a
financial: advisor with
Great-West Life Insurance.

Edward Bobb, a retired
certified general accoun-
tant and former Bulkley
Valley Health council
member, is from Smithers.

Alcan consultant John
Bower is a human resource
and training manager from
Kitimat.

Two appointments are
from Prince Rupert; Pene-
lope Denton is a registered
nurse and Ridley Termi-
nals director who used to
serve on the Prince Rupert
Port Corporation board.

y.Mark' Newbery, a
chamber of commerce dir-
ector, is the maintenance
superintendent at Prince

Rupert Grain Ltd.

Claudette Lavoie, is the
principal of Queen Char-
lotte Secondary School,
and is the regional repre-
sentative on the B.C, Sta-
tus of Women committee.

The six appointments
fill a gap created when
previous ones ran out.

Only two public board
members remain from the
previous group, Caledonia
school teacher Ed Harrison
from Terrace, a former
college board chair, and
Sandra Harris, representing
Moricetown and the Ha-
zeltons.

Their appointments
don’t run out until Later.
There are a0 representa-
tives, at least for now,
from Stewart or the Nass.

There are three fewer
board members on the new

attached to Premier Gor-
don Campbell’s office.

The board will be deal-
ing with tough decisions in
the weeks ahead.

NWCC is facing a po-
tential $2.3 million ‘budget
deficit for the coming year.
Layoffs and program cuts
ate inevitable.

“The diversity of back-
grounds and experience of
our new board members
will be an asset to us as
we look for ways to meet

changing educational
needs in challenging
times,” college president

Stephanie Forsyth said.

The new slate of ap-
pointments were effective
Feb. 11, not quite two
weeks after the previous
board was supposed to be
dissolved.

Not affected by the

board then served .on_.the. ..changes..are..board. repres.
sentatives elected by stu-
dents, faculty and other
college workers.

previous one.
The appointments are
made by a special branch

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~ YOUR HANDS- ON HOSPITAL CARE
-IS BEING HANDED OFF

During the election, Gordon Campbell promised to protect
health care. But since then the Liberal government has
introduced legislation that will allow health authorities to
privatize many direct services to patients.

Privatization will lead to a more fractured health care
system and reduce access for patients. Private companies
are driven by profit and that means either cutting services
or increasing user fees. In rural and remote communities, —
patients may be forced to travel long distance to get the
tests and treatment they need.

Please urge your MLA to support public health.
care and put patients ahead of profits. _

The union 604.439.0994
H www. hsabe,
‘ of caring HEALTH SCIENCES wey
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ASSOCIATION OF BC