COPE

Most of us have heard about the 5-20 week extension on EI benefits by now. What haven’t been published are the qualifications requirements to receive the extension. Below is an excerpt from the Service Canada website. You can find the entire article by going on the net to http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/goc/ltw/index.shtml Extension of EI Regular Benefits for Long-Tenured Workers EI eligible long-tenured workers may be eligible for additional benefits if they have contributed to the Employment Insurance (EI) program for a significant period of time and have previously made limited use of EI regular benefits. Eligibility information You may be eligible if: • you have contributed at least 30% of the annual maximum EI premiums for at least seven out of ten calendar years prior to the start of your claim; and • you have received no more than 35 weeks of regular EI benefits in the five years prior to the start of your claim. Application Information • If you are currently receiving EI benefits, you do not have to take any action. The additional entitlement will be added to your claim automatically. • If your claim started January 4th, 2009 or later, and has already ended, we will be contacting you by mail with information on how to claim your additional benefits. • If your claim started January 4th, 2009 or later, and it is running out soon, we will be contacting you by telephone and/or by mail with information on how to claim your additional benefits in an effort to ensure that you do not experience an interruption in your payments. • If you are going to file or have recently filed a new claim for benefits and are awaiting a decision on your claim, the additional entitlement will be added to your claim automatically, providing your benefits are approved. Dates and Deadlines • These changes begin as of October 25, 2009, the day An Act to amend the Employment Insurance Act and to increase benefits came into force (became law) and will remain in place until September 11, 2010. Payments of these extended benefits could continue until fall 2011. Eligibility requirements have, for the most part, been designed to exclude anyone working in a transient workforce such as construction. Most of us will make the first bullet for the eligibility threshold “contributing 30% of maximum EI premiums seven out of the last ten years” but chances are none of us will make the second part “less than 35 weeks of regular benefits in the last 5 years” While the extension sounds good, reality is our members are exactly the ones who are disadvantaged the most by the strings attached. Over the last few months we have had articles on two different topics. Agreement on Internal Trade (A.I.T.) and the College of Trades. While on the surface they may not seem to be connected, the facts are that they go hand in hand with each other. The Federal A.I.T. program is based around the mobility of our workforce and the College of Trades is meant to set standards by which we work under, provincially. The A.I.T. program mandates that certification standards in one province or territory cannot be a hindrance to employment for a worker from another jurisdiction with Ontario having six exceptions. Ontario has approved the following six exceptions: • Dental Hygienists [PDF, 15 KB] – Dental hygienists from Yukon and Nunavut who have not graduated from a nationally-accredited program must complete the national or equivalent exam • Drinking Water Systems Operators (Class I) [PDF, 15 KB] – Certified operators from Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories must take Ontario's two-week drinking water systems training program. • Lawyers [PDF, 15 KB] – Due to the different legal system in Quebec, Ontario will require lawyers from that province to take additional training and/or examinations. • Public Accountants [PDF, 20 KB] – Ontario will assess the qualifications of workers against Ontario's public accounting certification requirements. While applicants with a Chartered Accountant designation can be assessed by the Institute of Charter Accountants Ontario, applicants with either a Certified General Accountant or Certified Management Accountant designation cannot be assessed until the Ontario regulatory authorities for their professions are authorized to grant public accounting licences. • Registered Practical Nurses [PDF, 16 KB] – Due to different training and education standards among provinces, Registered Practical Nurses (licensed practical nurses) from Quebec must demonstrate that they have the necessary education and training in paediatrics and obstetrics. • Social Workers [PDF, 16 KB] – Due to different training and education standards, social workers certified in Alberta and Saskatchewan must have their academic qualifications assessed by the relevant regulatory authority in Ontario. The pdf version of the reasoning for each exception can be downloaded from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/tcu/labourmobility/ait.html Missing from the list is skilled labour, not just our trade but ALL skilled trades. The College of Trades will be setup to deal with how we are trained and licensed in our trade. This will be a very elaborate structure in Ontario considering the amount of “Red Seal” trades. We are all proud of the training we have done to be licensed in our trade and do not want to see the standards lowered in any way. Being left of the list of exceptions that the Ontario government has produced is disheartening. When trying to find out the criteria for the A.I.T. exception, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason other than a higher level of training and education in Ontario required the out of province worker to meet that standard prior to being employed here. Is this not exactly what the Inter Provincial Standard does? In the near future we will be having a form you can access on our website www.ibew353.org which will send an email to your local MPP and to the Premier of Ontario asking for the 309A Construction and Maintenance License to be included on the list of exceptions with strict criteria to obtain the license for out of province applicants. All members will be encouraged to fill it out to raise the awareness of our elected officials. Our standard of training promotes safer installations for not only the workers who install them but for our customers and the public at large who use the facilities we build. Fraternally, Steven Martin, COPE Chair