New support for seasonal workers
New support for seasonal workers
Pontiac MP William Amos issued a press release, welcoming the new Government of Canada pilot project to provide up to five additional weeks of regular E.I. benefits to eligible seasonal workers in four months targeting regions of Quebec, including the MRC Pontiac. He says that with this new pilot project, the government estimates that 24,500 seasonal workers in Quebec will receive additional benefits.
According to the statement, William Amos says this is a concrete response to a problem raised by many elected officials in the Pontiac.
The additional five weeks of benefits will be available to eligible seasonal workers who begin a benefit period between August 5, 2018 and May 30, 2020 in the regions.
An Employment Insurance claimant will be
considered an eligible seasonal worker if it meets both of the following
criteria:
• in the previous five years, he has submitted at least three applications for which he has received regular benefits or fishing benefits,
• at least two of these requests started at about the same time of the year.
The Government will also invest $ 41 million over two years to develop, in conjunction with the provinces and territories, vocational training and employment assistance programs for seasonal workers under provincial labor agreements and labor market development. These changes to the employment insurance system are designed to meet the major challenges faced by seasonal workers in Quebec.
This increased support is part of the commitment made in the 2018 Budget to provide $ 230 million over two years (2018-19 and 2019-20) to assist seasonal workers. In the 2018 Budget, the Government of Canada also provided immediate support to seasonal workers through the reallocation of $ 10 million of existing resources.
“Seasonal workers are an important part of the Pontiac’s growing economy. However, gaps in employment insurance prevent workers in certain regions from receiving adequate support. Our government is committed to reviewing and modernizing the employment insurance system to reduce the number of unemployed workers without a safety net. This new pilot project will ensure that seasonal workers in Pontiac have access to the extra support they need between seasons. – William Amos, MP for Pontiac
