Who Killed Sir William?
A Community-University Research Alliance Seeks Justice for Injured Workers
by Marion Endicott and Steve Mantis

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In 1910, Sir William Meredith led a Royal Commission to investigate the injury, death, and permanent disability of workers. In response to his findings, Meredith helped introduce a new system of compensation for injured and disabled workers that emphasized their rights and well-being. But today, Sir William’s principles appear to be dead: injured and disabled workers often end up living in poverty and are viewed with stigma by those who should be providing them with service. What happened? How can we find out the experiences and needs of injured and disabled workers, and how can the necessary changes be put into action? To answer such questions, the Research Action Alliance on the Consequences of Work Injury (RAACWI), a community-based research initiative that brought advocates, injured workers, and academics together, was formed. Who Killed Sir William? provides an engaging look at RAACWI’s eight years of groundbreaking work and what a successful community-academia partnership looks like to inform and inspire fellow academics, advocates, and community. Its discussion includes (and goes beyond): - Developing a trusting, productive, community-advocate-academic relationship - Successes such as the production of over twenty research publications and a speakers school for injured workers - The use of diverse teaching methods, including skits and theatre pieces - Some of the challenges RAACWI faced (and how they overcame them) Who Killed Sir William? authors Marion Endicott and Steve Mantis not only offer insight on the systemic assailants, but also lay out a process of addressing them.

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"Who Killed Sir William? is a remarkable story of a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project with a goal to draw attention to the lives of injured workers in Ontario and Canada. The story is told by the community partners in the project. It is one of the best pieces that I have encountered anywhere of a community led telling of a story of CBPR activism. And what is more, it demonstrates what positive results can happen when the knowledge of people experiencing discrimination, in this case injured workers, can be brought to light. A towering achievement." —Budd L Hall, Co-Chair UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education, Centre for Global Studies, University of Victoria "It will be an extremely useful manual for any community organization that needs an input from academics." —Karen Messing, Professor Emerita, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal "While many profess that workers ought to have a say in social programs that affect them, few actually address the issue in a way that centres their authentic voices. Who Killed Sir William? fills this gap brilliantly. Drawing from experiences of injured workers, advocates and researchers, this volume reveals inspiring ideas and activities for worker advocates in health and safety and workers compensation to pursue." —Andrew King, National Health, Safety & Environment, United Steelworkers Union (retired) "[This] book is an engaging and thoughtful exploration of the importance and potential of community-based research (done well) to contribute to knowledge, awareness, mobilization, and social justice. To have a resource like this built around a sustained and successful project focused on injured workers is a huge bonus for those of us who work in the field of occupational health and safety." —Barbara Neis, Honorary Research Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, former Co-Director of Memorial’s SafetyNet Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Research, and Member of the Order of Canada "This is a fascinating case study of how community-based research actually works (and, occasionally, doesn’t!) and the significant benefits it can have, both for community members and for academics. I much appreciated the “warts and all” reflections on RAACWI, including the moments of tension and the occasional mis-steps, as well as reflections on what led to those moments. This book is a valuable road map for workers (injured or otherwise), advocates, and researchers considering community-based research programs." —Bob Barnetson, Professor, Labour Relations, Athabasca University "I found it engaging and informative, as both a history lesson and as a sort of manual on how to set up and run a complex research project. The description of the ups and downs of such a collaborative community engagement model, and how to overcome obstacles and resistance on all sides, will serve others well who wish to follow the same path. The value of injured workers, speaking for themselves and demanding change, is a powerful message that is shared in the book." —Lois Cromarty, Barrister and Solicitor, Northumberland Community Legal Centre

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Marion Endicott worked for forty years as an advocate for injured workers. In addition to being a leader in the community-based research project detailed in Who Killed Sir William?, Marion’s principle work was at the Injured Workers Community Legal Clinic. She was a founding member of the Bancroft Institute, a research-action organization that has in many ways continued to advance the work begun by RAACWI. She has co-authored research publications such as “Knowledge Translation through Research-Based Theatre” and “A Critical Review of Literature on Experience Rating in Workers’ Compensation Systems.” Marion lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband, Nick. Steve Mantis was the community lead in RAACWI. He lost his arm in an industrial accident 45 years ago and has continued to fight for the rights of injured workers, including emphasizing the need for long-term tracking of injured workers in the compensation system. Steve was previously a board member of the Workers’ Compensation Board, and he currently is involved with the Ontario Network of Injured Workers’ Groups, the Thunder Bay & District Injured Workers Support Group, the Centre for Research on Work Disability Policy, and the Lakehead University’s research institute; Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability at Work. He lives in Kaministiquia, Ontario with his partner, Barb.

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Contributors

Author

Marion Endicott

Author

Steve Mantis

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