e-3111 Employment and labour
Daniel Blaikie
Application process,Employment insurance,Women
June 1, 2021, at 5:24 p.m. (EDT)
Petition to the Government of Canada
  Whereas:
  
    In 2015, the government signalled its intention to β€œ[undertake] a broad review of the EI system with the goal of modernizing [the] system of income support for unemployed workers, [as the current system] leaves too many workers with no unemployment insurance safety net”;
    The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the limitations of the current EI system, which barely provides any protection when unemployment strikes, forcing the federal government to put in place temporary emergency measures to ensure the financial security of millions of unemployed workers who would otherwise fall through the cracks; and
    The pandemic has also highlighted the need for major β€” and especially permanent β€” changes to the EI system.
  
  
    We, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
    1) Put in place, as soon as possible, a broad consultation process with the goal of fundamentally reforming the system to make it simpler and fairer;
    2) Establish a single eligibility threshold of 350 hours or 13 weeks of work;
    3) Increase the benefit rate to 70% of earnings based on the 12 best weeks of earnings;
    4) Introduce a minimum threshold of 35 weeks of benefits; and
    5) Immediately bring in certain improvements, including the return of an independent tripartite tribunal and access to regular EI benefits for women who have been absent from work for pregnancy, maternity and parental responsibilities.