FOR IMEDIATE RELEASE: February 2nd, 1999

MP's CHALLANGED TO PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE THEIR POSITIONS
MP’s Peter Miliken and Larry McCormick asked to publicly announce their position regarding the Unemployment Insurance (EI) program.

Kingston: MP’s Peter Miliken and Larry McCormick asked to publicly announce their position regarding the Unemployment Insurance (EI) program.

As we approach the 1999 Liberal Government Budget, the Kingston and District Labour Council announces their unanimous support regarding the cross-country Canadian Labour Congress Unemployment Insurance (EI) Campaign. All Liberal MP’s have received the following letter in the month of January from Robert White the President of the CLC.

In 1999, only one-third of the unemployed will receive UI benefits. In many areas of the country, an even smaller portion receives UI.

Four bills cutting unemployment insurance have been passed by Parliament since 1990. Each bill excluded a larger portion of the unemployed from protection. Today, less than 32 percent of women receive UI, and only 15 percent of youth.

The last bill, the Employment Insurance Act, introduced a complex tangle of penalties; the divisor, the intensity rule, and benefit clawbacks; all of them specifically designed to blame the claimant for their own layoff. These penalties are unjust. And they have made the program hopelessly complex.

Millions of Canadian workers and their families have paid a very high price for these cuts. Every community throughout the country has been severely hurt.

Parents do not have the income to provide the basic needs of their children. The 60 percent increase in child poverty since 1989 has paralleled the drop in UI protection over that same period.

The loss to workers is over $9 billion a year – higher than this year’s surplus.

The government has shamelessly confiscated $25 billion of unemployment benefits to balance the government books and is proposing to finance government programs unrelated to the purpose of unemployed insurance.

As a Member of Parliament, you are undoubtedly aware of the growing hardship these cuts have created. But you may not have the data to fully assess the specific losses in your own riding and local UI region.

To help you and your constituents, the CLC has purchased data from Statistics Canada detailing the consequences of these cuts on the unemployed in your riding and your local UI region.

I am sending you data on the number of UI beneficiaries in your riding for each year from 1989 to 1997 along with an estimate of the dollar loss for your constituency between 1993 and 1997.

Canada needs immediate UI reform. The human deficit is growing at a very distressing rate. I am asking you to state your position in writing on the following reforms that we are proposing:

UI must not be used for federal debt reduction, tax cuts or spending on government programs.

At least 70% of the unemployed should be receiving UI.

Weekly benefits must be 60% of a claimant’s weekly pay.

The divisor, the intensity rule, and benefit clawbacks must be repealed.

The UI fund must be separated from the government accounts and the authority, autonomy, and transparency of the UI commission must be strengthened.

We would like your reply by January 31. Your reply will be published. Our local labour council will be in touch with you on this important matter. Clearly, the purpose of unemployment insurance has been lost. Your support is vital in re-establishing UI as an earnings insurance program for unemployment, pregnancy and parental leave, and training. That is why workers and their employers pay UI premiums.

The Kingston and District Labour Council on behalf of the many unemployed constituents in our area request our elected MP’s Peter Milliken and Larry McCormick to publicly announce their position regarding the Unemployment Insurance (EI) program.

Charlie Stock  (613) 549-6258			
President,									
Kingston and District Labour Council