EI fair, but not generous

As a retired Employment Insurance worker of 24 years, I see nothing wrong with EI’s present policy of dividing the country into 58 different economic regions to determine the number of hours needed to qualify, or the subsequent maximum number of weeks of benefits that can be paid.

The policy is no more difficult to administer than if they reduced the number of regions to, say, three, (urban, rural and remote), as proposed by Gordon Campbell et al. In practice, the current system is fair and based on the premise that the higher the regional unemployment rate, the more difficult it is to find work, or to remain employed if work is found. Who would argue with that?

As to any criticism that the policy rewards folks who remain in areas with poor employment prospects, who will work the forestry, mining, fishing or agriculture jobs if government EI policies encourage workers to move to the cities?

Your column is a tad misleading in that it perpetuates the kind of myth being put out by uninformed Conservative MPs, about the number of weeks of EI benefits that can be paid out: this “45-week work year” nonsense. In fact, very few EI recipients qualify to receive anything like 40, 45 or 50 weeks of benefits on their claims.

The maximum number of weeks of benefits depends on whether the individual is a first-time filer, or on how many weeks of EI benefits they received during the previous year or two, as well as the number of insurable hours of work in the past year, and the regional rate of unemployment.

I recall the days when many claimants could and did receive up to 50 weeks of benefits with as few as 10 weeks of employment. Those days are long gone; successive governments have been cutting back on EI entitlement for years.

I’m wondering why the press has been silent on the issue of the surplus in the EI fund. Just a few short months ago, that surplus was in the order of $40 billion.

Now, that surplus seems to have mysteriously disappeared, as evidenced by the Conservatives explanation that at least $5 billion of the projected $50 billion deficit can be attributed to the substantial increase in EI claims.

What happened to the $40 billion EI surplus?

Don Rollins

Vernon

Instant Replay, fond memories

Thank you Len Corben for these super stories on North Shore people (Revenge at Callister Park, May 7).

As I recall, Lawrence Rae, our inside right, came into our side to replace Gordie Hunter who had just passed away suddenly at 12 years of age. Lawrence was a year younger but highly skilled.

According to my dad, Fen Burdett said this original team formed two years before winning both the Provincial and Mainland cups. The year before that, they won the Mainland Cup in Div 6 (I joined in Div 6). These were all new players to soccer who had been cast-offs from other clubs. With Jim Wardlaw Sr. as our coach and the support of the owner, Fen Burdett, we were lucky that year to have Bobby Davies join us on left wing and have his dad coach with Jim. Bobby and his dad had been with the North West Eagles a division higher and some how Jack got removed despite a highly successful record there.

Gary Surine was that team’s only captain from Div 7 through to Div 1. He was a great captain as he was a quiet leader who led by his fair and hard play not by anything he said.

We mostly played the old W formation but with Jim’s keen insights into players and ability to coach both teams and individuals for skill, we also played a 4-3-3 at times despite it not being common place 50 years ago.

Keep up the great stories.

Posted by GDBasham at northshoreoutlook.com