Finley was scheduled to arrive in P.E.I. Wednesday, but her plane was diverted due to poor weather. She was supposed to meet with P.E.I. Innovation Minister Allen Roach to discuss the province's ongoing concerns over changes to the EI system being rolled out by the federal government.
In a telephone interview with The Guardian, Finley said she has been trying to address the many concerns being raised by public officials and numerous individuals and groups over the changes.
She has met with numerous employees and employers, trying to “explain the changes, mainly because there was a lot of mis- and disinformation about them,” she said.
“I think once people understand how the system works that they will understand that it is in their best interests. It is to help them so that when they work, they'll get rewarded.”
Changes to employment insurance passed by the federal government this spring include creating three categories of unemployed workers based on how often they have collected EI benefits.
Frequent users, such as seasonal workers, will have six weeks to find a job in their field. After that, they will have to take any job for which they are qualified, even if it is not in their field and even if it pays 30 per cent less than their previous wage.
Provincial government officials have said they believe forcing skilled seasonal workers into jobs in other fields will hurt the Island’s three primary industries of tourism, agriculture and fishing.
A provincial standing committee of MLAs has been traveling across P.E.I. to gauge Islanders' reaction to the EI changes.
Just about every presenter to the committee has expressed anger and dismay, especially over new rules implemented this summer that now see 50 cents of every dollar earned by EI claimants working part time clawed back by the feds.
Concerned Islanders told the committee this works as a disincentive for people claiming employment insurance from seeking part-time work.
Finley disagreed.
“The previous program did exactly (that). It discouraged people from working,” she said.
Up until August, people claiming EI could work for “roughly a day-and-a-half to two days a week” and there would be no claw back. After that, their EI was clawed back dollar for dollar, Finley said.
“We heard from employees and employers that this was a major factor in discouraging people from working so we changed it so that whenever they work, they get to keep 50 cents on the dollar, instead of losing it so they could work three or four days a week while they're on claim and they would be better off by doing that.”
Despite the many concerns that have been raised, Finley said the changes to EI will address requests coming from employers for more workers and from unemployed Canadians looking for work.
She said she is open to working with provincial governments on employment insurance, “but recognizing that we have to make sure that the EI system doesn't prevent people from working and from being productive.
“For years, since the 1950s, the law has said that if you have the right to EI with that comes the responsibility of looking for a job and accepting a reasonable one if it's offered. Up until now, people have had a problem doing that,” she said.
“We're helping connect people with the jobs that are available within their skill range, within their geographic area because we want to make sure that anytime anybody works, they're better off and we want to help them and their families be better off.”
Original Article
Source: theguardian.pe.ca
Author: Teresa Wright
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