Resolution No. 9 Permanent Employment Insurance and Social Programs Reform

Unifor National Will:

  • Pressure all levels of governments to strengthen the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), Old Age Security (OAS) and social supports to help seniors retire with
  • Continue to advocate for an Employment Insurance (EI) program that expands eligibility, access and benefits.
  • Lobby the federal government to ensure permanent EI reform and social supports that help

seniors.

  • Mobilize members to participate in EI and Retirement Security campaign

 

Because:

  • The CPP has recently been threatened by right wing governments, with previous federal governments threatening to increase the age qualifier for retirement benefits.
  • Recent Statistics Canada reports highlighted that nearly one in five Canadians are 65 years of age or older with nearly one in five current retirees having less than $25,000 in savings or investments;
  • The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how broken the El system in Canada is - with it’s restrictive eligibility criteria, low benefit rates and significant gaps in worker coverage;
  • Unifor members across Canada continue to be negatively impacted by an El system that doesn’t

work for workers;

  • Unions have an obligation to advocate for their membership and the collective needs of

Canadians;

  • Unifor was founded on the principle of social unionism with a commitment to work in common cause with other progressives in Canada to achieve economic progress for all.

 

Respectfully Submitted by:

Local 707