Young, precarious workers better insured with Tom Mulcair

NDP EI plan delivers major expansion of access to job training and support for families

An NDP government will hold Employment Insurance premiums steady for four years and invest in expanded training and benefits for young Canadians, precarious workers and new parents, NDP leader Tom Mulcair said today.

“The nature of work has changed and it’s harder for young Canadians to find a steady, lasting and solid footing in the job market,” said Mulcair. “Instead of raiding the EI fund like Liberals and Conservatives, we will help young people get a strong start, by making EI eligibility fairer, and by investing in training that will help young workers find a permanent place in the workforce.”

Tom Mulcair’s plan to make EI sustainable and reliable will:

• Protect EI premiums so they provide benefits to Canadians and are not used as the government’s piggy bank;
• Create as many as 90,000 training and work transition opportunities;
• Help working moms and dads with expanded parental benefits, and help those with chronically ill relatives with compassionate care benefits;
• Make eligibility rules more fair in recognition of the changing nature of work; and
• Provide greater flexibility and options that support the needs of workers and their families.

Stephen Harper’s plan isn’t working. He’s slashed EI benefits, continued the Liberal raid on the EI fund and made it much harder for Canadians to access the coverage they have earned. Today, fewer Canadians than ever qualify for benefits, and cuts to Service Canada mean that people who have followed all the rules are forced to wait weeks before receiving benefits they have paid for.

“Paul Martin launched the Liberals’ cuts to Employment Insurance benefits in the 1990s and raided more than $50 billion from the EI Fund. Justin Trudeau says that was the ‘right decision,’” said Mulcair. “An NDP government will take the politics out of EI once and for all, so premiums go to Canadians who have earned benefits, not into general revenue.”

All EI commitments are paid for from within the EI fund.