The head of the Workers’ Compensation Board has submitted her resignation and will be stepping down from her post by the end of next month.
A replacement has not yet been named, but the WCB’s board of directors said last week that it will be initiating a process to seek a new CEO. Mary Cameron’s contract was not due to expire until February 2003.
“Although we respect her decision, we will miss her talent and dedication,” said Don Ritz, vice-chair of the board of directors. “Ms. Cameron’s leadership and strategic vision have been invaluable in improving our customer service and our relationships with stakeholders.”
Cameron had locked horns with provincial Human Resources Minister Clint Dunford over the past few months after he announced a review of thousands of old WCB claims.
In a December speech at the Calgary Chamber of Commerce reported in Business Edge, Cameron said she had “grave concerns” over the plan, predicting it would trigger even more anger among rejected claimants. Dunford plans to bring forward legislation to establish an independent three-person board to reconsider about 24,000 WCB cases which were rejected on appeal over the past 10 years.
Alberta businesses were also alarmed by the news that some employers will face up to 76-per-cent hikes in their WCB premiums this year, because Cameron says the WCB can no longer afford to subsidize employer premiums as it has in the past. Between 1997 and 2001, claims costs have doubled to $831 million, with a 104-per-cent rise in medical expenses, much of it attributed to the cost of leading-edge drugs.
The not-for-profit, employer-funded WCB provides workplace liability insurance to 1.3 million workers and 105,000 employers.
Cameron was not available for comment. The head of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Dan MacLennan, told reporters he would be surprised if the next WCB head earned the same salary as Cameron, whose annual pay topped $350,000.
