Monday, May 26, 2014

Saint John Hosting The Four Atlantic Premiers


The Premiers from the four Atlantic Provinces are in town to discuss various issues. The Council of Atlantic Premiers is being hosted by Premier David Alward and one of those issues is a study on the what sort of impact changes to Employment Insurance have had on the region.
 

This isn't the first study on the changes. There was one done for the Alward Government. It showed the changes would reduce E-I benefits in the province by an estimated 7 million dollars. 

A poll done by Corporate Research Associates found 62 per cent of New Brunswickers were opposed to the changes with opposition strongest the older people were. 

Under the changes, if unemployed you would be forced to travel as far as 100 kilometers for a job and accept as much as 30 per cent less pay. Even without the changes, less than 40 per cent of people who lose their jobs qualify for E-I benefits.