October 30, 2012 - No. 137

Harper Government's Attack on Employment Insurance

Mass Actions in Quebec and Maritimes Denounce Anti-Social Reforms

Thetford Mines, Quebec, October 27, 2012

Harper Government's Attack on Employment Insurance
• Mass Actions in Quebec and Maritimes Denounce Anti-Social Reforms
• What the Workers Have to Say - Normand Chouinard

Harper Government's Attack on Employment Insurance

Mass Actions in Quebec and Maritimes Denounce Anti-Social Reforms

On October 27, actions took place in Quebec and the Maritimes to denounce the Harper dictatorship's cuts to Employment Insurance (EI). The changes to EI are an attack on the national economy and regional resources, and an attack on workers' dignity and right to a livelihood. The workers create society's wealth, a portion of which funds the EI program, and they have the right to the necessary assistance during periods of unemployment or when they lose they jobs.

Thetford Mines, Quebec

More than 3,000 workers and unemployed people across Quebec rallied on October 27 at Thetford Mines.

"For a just and universal employment insurance regime."

Workers, unions and organizations in defence of the unemployed's rights from Alma, Saguenay, Joliette, Lac Mégantic, Plessisville, Shawinigan, Trois-Rivières, Victoriaville, Sherbrooke, Magog, Quebec, Ste-Geneviève de Batiscan, Montreal and elsewhere denounced this brutal attack on their dignity and security. They marched from the Service Canada building on Frontenac Boulevard West to the constituency office of Christian Paradis, MP for Mégantic-L'Érable and Stephen Harper's lieutenant in Quebec. With hundreds of banners unfurled they chanted, "No to the destruction of EI!"; "Finley, Harper: where have billions of our dollars gone?"; "No to cheap labour, no to Harper's reform!"; "Online Services leave government officials out in the cold!"; "Employment insurance is a right we have won!"; "Harper: in the woods! Finley: at McDonalds!"; "We demand what is ours to keep us off the streets!" and many others.

Labour organizations present included the Quebec Federation of Labour (FTQ) the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), the Confederation of Democratic Trade Unions (CSD), the Public Service Union of Quebec (SFPQ) and regional councils of the trade union centrals, as well as unionized construction and electrical workers and unionized heavy equipment operators. Many defence organizations of the unemployed from various regions including member organizations of the Autonomous Movement in Solidarity with the Unemployed (MASSE) also participated. Also present were representatives of the Bloc Québécois, the NDP and the Marxist-Leninist Party of Quebec (PMLQ). The demonstration was called by a Coalition made up of MASSE, the union centrals, the FTQ, CSN, CSD, the Quebec House of Labour (CSQ), as well as the SFPQ.

The action was called to denounce with a united voice the changes to the Employment Insurance Act announced at the end of May by the Harper government in the omnibus budget bill, Bill C-38. The changes give Minister of Human Resources Diane Finley, the discretion to pass regulations which modify the eligibility and retention of Employment Insurance benefits, without approval by Parliament. On May 24, Minister Finley announced she will adopt regulations that force EI recipients to accept jobs at drastically lower wages or which may force them to travel long distances, or else be cut off their benefits.

Speakers pointed out that the EI program is funded entirely by contributions from employers and workers and that the government has no business interfering with it. They also denounced the attacks on public services through the Harper government's massive layoffs in the federal public sector and that the fight on these matters is just beginning.

The fall edition of Forum ouvrier which calls on the working class to build its independent politics was widely distributed at the action by PMLQ activists. Workers were eager to discuss the problems caused by the Harper government's nation-wrecking, including the reforms to EI.

Other Quebec actions are being prepared to oppose the changes to EI, including a demonstration in the Magdalen Islands on November 3.

Maritimes

Workers demonstrating in Campbellton, New Brunswick, across the Ristigouche river from Quebec, were joined by workers from the entire Gaspésie region, including La Pocatière, Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski, Témiscouata and Matane, who marched across the J.C. Van Horne Bridge, forming one contingent of more than 1,500 people.

In Truro, Nova Scotia, about 200 people demonstrated. Danny Cavanagh, President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Union-Nova Scotia, underscored that, "Our biggest concern is the cuts to Employment Insurance, especially among seasonal workers."

In Summerside, Prince Edward Island, hundreds of people took to the streets with the slogan "Harper must go." The organizers also saluted that actions taking place in Quebec and the rest of the Maritimes to denounce with one voice the anti-social Harper government.

Truro, Nova Scotia


Summerside, PEI

Excerpts from Statements and Speeches -- Thetford Mines

Sylvain Bergeron, spokesperson for Actions and Services Working in Unity with the Unemployed (ASTUSE) in the Saguenay spoke of the situation these reforms create for the Lac St-Jean region, a resource region. "It will create huge problems here. It's no secret that with the reform, the forestry industry could crumble. We spoke with workers and employers who say they are concerned because they will be obliged to train new people and it costs a lot to train new forestry workers. In agriculture, not everyone can run farm machinery. If every year workers have to leave, imagine what a problem this will create with the lost of expertise. According to the Quebec government's figures, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, transport, and retail will all be affected -- one in five people will have to leave their industry to work at 70 per cent of their salary. The loss in trained personnel will have an $8 billion impact on Quebec's economy. The Harper government is destroying and starving the resource regions. The most absurd thing for the resource regions is that the five Conservatives MPs elected in Quebec all represent source regions: Christian Paradis (Mégantic-L'Érable), Maxime Bernier (Beauce), Jacques Gourde (Lotbini re-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière) and Steven Blaney (Lévis-Bellechasse) [the other Conservative MP in Quebec is Denis Lebel who represents Roberval-Lac-Saint-Jean, another resource region]. The economies in these regions rely on jobs in the primary resource sectors. These are the first jobs affected. We must go to each riding -- it's time to tell them to start working for the people, not Mr. Harper."

Coordinator of MASSE Marie-Hélène Arruda stated, "The Conservatives with their ideology, are proceeding with a reform which not only does not meet the needs of the unemployed, but is also highly detrimental to regional economies. This fall, the government will define by regulation what is a decent job, that is to say a position that an unemployed person cannot refuse for fear of losing their benefits. We will be very vigilant on this point, because the stakes are high."

Daniel Boyer, secretary general of the FTQ remarked, "[The reform] will create more poverty and exclusion. The spirit of the EI program is to reduce the negative impacts of economic cycles for employees, a situation over which they have no control. The Conservatives are violating this principle." He noted that decent work and income are rights and Harper does not respect them. The changes to the EI will threaten the survival of many Quebec regions. The Harper government is attacking the unemployed because he is incapable of tackling unemployment.

CSN vice-president Jean Lacharité explained that for the past several months the CSN has been collecting letters of support to make the Conservatives back down. "In all regions, municipalities, regional county municipalities (RCM) and economic development organizations are signing statements calling on the Conservative government to reverse these unilateral measures and consult with the provinces on the changes. The Conservative reform hits regional economies by bringing down wages in general and encouraging the exodus of labour," he said.

Secretary-treasurer of the CSQ Daniel B. Lafrenière highlighted the effect on young graduates, where young people's entry into the labour market often begins with a few years of insecurity. "In education, for example, young graduates who do not yet have stable employment may be forced to accept jobs in fields which are totally unrelated to their training. With time, this skilled labour may completely desert the profession for which it was trained," he pointed out.

According to André Godbout, vice-president of the Public Service Union of Quebec (SFPQ), "there are, in some sectors in Quebec, people who become unemployed each year at a given time because there is no work. [...] There is a real risk of a loss of expertise, because if these qualified people can no longer rely on employment insurance, many will have no choice but to leave the region to find a more stable job."

Claude Faucher, vice-president of the CSD denounced the Conservative government's omnibus budget bill, which "in one fell swoop, has affected about sixty laws, several of which have nothing to do with budgetary issues. As proof, EI does not in any way affect the budget of Canada. In fact, EI is funded entirely by contributions from employers and workers dedicated specifically to employment insurance. It is therefore not the federal government's business to touch EI. When they rammed it through, rejecting hundreds of amendments proposed by the Opposition, they made a direct attack on all workers and the unemployed in Canada. One may think that this only affects certain groups of people, including seasonal workers, the fisheries, the agricultural world. But it also affects the world of construction, recreation and tourism sectors, forestry, it affects everyone who is likely to become unemployed occasionally. Rotten policies: we do not want them!"

Claude Patry, MP for Jonquière-Alma and former EI spokesperson for the NDP said, "One starts to think that people will leave the regions because they have no work. Lower and lower salaries -- you can't build a country by taking money from the workers' pockets. We have to inject money into the economy, not take it away from the workers."

(Excerpts translated from original French. Photos: PMLQ,, PSAC)

What the Workers Have to Say

- Normand Chouinard -

Activists of CPC(M-L)'s Workers' Centre met with many workers present at the action in Thetford Mines. The workers were asked how the changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program would affect their working conditions and the impact it will have on their community. Posted below are their responses.

Retired Carpenter

Construction workers live in permanent insecurity as they face the ups and downs of the industry. They need regular employment insurance, so they are the first affected by Harper's reforms. Furthermore, with the changes, they will have to take a job in another field at 70 per cent of their salary, which could cause them to lose their certification. This law attacks both construction workers and their unions. And what is worse is that the government is dictating to us how to live our lives. Construction workers want to work in construction, not become dishwashers or clerks. It is as if they want to get rid of unionized workers to replace them with cheap labour. It must not pass. Our generation has fought for decades for the working conditions we have today. We're the ones who built our unions. Now they want to replace our unions with "boutique unions" like in Alberta. With Quebec Bill 33 [An Act to eliminate union placement and improve the operation of the construction industry], the employers have control of the workforce. What will stop them now from creating their own unions?

Marie Josée Lapointe, Rights First--Erable

"70 per cent of my income is not fair."

We are an organization that defends the rights of those who are seeking employment and also of those who have lost their jobs. [Our organization] also defends the right of welfare recipients to receive help when they need it. We work in the L'Érable Regional County Municipality. The problem with the EI reform is that it will force people to work in any field. Take for example the case of teachers who are unemployed during the summer, everyone knows that when teachers aren't permanent employees, they are under contract for several years and will frequently end up on employment insurance. The consequences are that they will have to find a job or accept employment at 70 per cent of their regular wage and more than 100 kilometres from home on top of being prevented from working in their profession. It is also quite possible that the professor who quits his job to return to his job as a teacher may no longer be eligible for employment insurance next year because he left a full-time job. For other workers, the law will encourage cheap labour especially in seasonal occupations. One must understand that it is not the workers who are seasonal but the jobs that are seasonal. This will cause a labour shortage for employers as well because many workers will not want to work in a seasonal job. The skilled workforce will disappear and this will contribute to people's impoverishment. Once you have no income from employment and employment insurance, what can you do? You're on welfare. The only ones who will take advantage of this situation are some employers who will see their pool of cheap labour greatly increase -- this is unacceptable. The government must back down across the board. This is opening a floodgate that will turn back our rights.

Jocelyne Mariotte, Richmond Garment Workers' Union

We oppose Harper's bill because, in our field, we are often laid off for lack of work. When we need to receive employment insurance, we want to have it. We put money into the program, not Harper, we want to be paid when the plant lays us off, that's all. The new law can make us work at a lower wage and more than 100 kilometres from home. Not only do you find yourself poorer but your transportation costs increase. We do not want to impoverish ourselves, we are already quite poor as it is. Harper should stay home, they should make laws for him so he'll leave us alone. We are a factory of about 100 workers specialized in making firemen's clothing. When demand is low, we are laid off, it is not our fault. We would like to work all year but it doesn't work like that. In addition [the reforms] will encourage the black market to avoid being part of the system and suffer the repercussions of the law, people will do anything to find work under the table. This is a waste of qualified labour. Next we will see the government lament the labour shortage. There is no labour shortage, it is just them getting rid of us.

Journalist, Thetford Mines

I don't understand what the government is trying to do. We work, why cut our employment insurance? They are determined to make cuts and take our money but then you never know what they do with it afterward. They want to decide for everyone else, it makes no sense, this is not how it works in life. Do we tell them what to do? Maybe we should.

France Simard, Unemployment Action Movement Lac St-Jean

Since early September when we toured to inform employees and employers in the region, we have held nearly 10 meetings and met with nearly 500 employees and their employers to explain the ins and outs of the new law and its consequences. We realized they are very concerned. Employers are worried about having to train new employees each year, which will increase the cost of training their workforce. We're talking $5,000 per employee for some. It is mostly the small businesses that will be affected in different ways. For example, the unemployed will have to make sure to send resumés everywhere to prove they are looking for jobs. How do you think small businesses can manage such a large amount of resumés? It is impossible. It is also a concern for the regions because if you force workers to move more than 100 kilometres from home, entire cities, if not entire regions, will suffer. Many workers went to see the Conservative minister for the region, Mr. Lebel, but they were not seen. He doesn't even work for the people who voted for him.

Ubald Dégagné, CEP Local 3000, Saguenay Lac St-Jean

For us who work in natural forests areas, we will be less affected, or so we hope, than other city workers who work in precarious jobs. We stop working two months of the year, from around the end of March to the end of May, so we may also be also be affected by the new law. We remain vigilant and stand in solidarity with other workers in Quebec. We will also be on guard for what will happen during those two months. If we are forced to take a temporary job that we leave shortly after, will that affect us for the next time? We're keeping a close eye on it. You never know what Harper has in store for us.

Karine Prégeant, CSN-Women-Construction

Women have a lot of trouble getting their hours on the sites because they are victims of systemic discrimination by employers, and therefore are more vulnerable to end up on employment insurance. They are always the first to be affected when employers have layoffs and are the last called when work resumes. We must also take into account the difficult situation created because of the prejudice against women that we aren't as capable as men. Harper's new law will affect all workers, but women are particularly affected because at an equal skill-level, women are hired last and therefore it is more difficult to complete their required hours for employment insurance.

Julie Dionne, Sherbrooke CEGEPs Teachers' Union

Teachers are often contracted and the number of permanent teachers is steadily declining because of, among other reasons, the decline in students. A teacher may be on contract for more than 20 years before receiving a permanent position. The new law may affect the lives of teachers in the sense that it can become a kind of harassment to accept all kinds of work and sometimes it can be absurd. For example, consider the case of one of our teachers who received an email to become an English teacher, but she doesn't speak a word of English. She was still considered qualified by employment insurance. Or a teacher who receives an offer to give a single course in his department will probably see employment insurance cut or reduced.

(Translated from original French by TML.)

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