ST. JOHN’S – The president of CUPE NL, Wayne Lucas, says the release of a long-awaited report by the four Atlantic premiers on the impact of EI cuts can only be described as a huge disappointment.
Lucas says, “The Council of Atlantic Premiers chose to release their Employment Insurance Advisory Panel’s report on the Friday of a long weekend – no news conference, no photo op, just a very quiet news release.
“This is extremely disappointing given that the panel was formed in good faith to take a critical look at how the Harper Government’s cuts to EI are having a profound effect in our region, and what we can do about it” he says.
“We were hopeful that the four premiers would again ask for a moratorium to be placed on these cuts, especially as they relate to seasonal workers,” adds Lucas.
Lucas says CUPE is also disappointed that the Panel didn’t ask the premiers to support Bill C-605 from NDP MP Robert Chisholm, which would protect the federal EI account.
“Working people in Atlantic Canada need to be reminded that not one dime of EI funding actually comes from the federal government. It is funded entirely by workers and employers and must be there for unemployed workers when it is needed,” says Lucas.