Solidarity Message from the Good Jobs for All Coalition

Scrap the EI Changes!

On behalf of the Good Jobs for All Coalition, representing more than 30 community and labour organizations in the Greater Toronto Area, we extend our solidarity to the thousands of demonstrators in Montreal, Edmundston and elsewhere who are protesting the Harper government’s assault on our hard-won Employment Insurance rights. We join with you in calling upon the government to “Scrap the EI Changes!”

This is not just an issue for Quebec and the Atlantic provinces. The devastation of the EI changes will be felt across Canada, in many sectors and in big cities as well as rural areas. They will add insult to injury since only 40% of unemployed workers are actually receiving EI benefits.

The most vulnerable workers will bear the brunt of these changes. This is part of a cheap labour agenda that is creeping like a cancer into the fabric of our society. The Harper government’s attack on working people is evident everywhere, from its new anti-union legislation to the green light it is giving to discriminatory wages for Temporary Foreign Workers. It is unjust. It is outrageous.

Your mobilizations are truly impressive and have inspired us to launch our own fight-back campaign and to take action to build public awareness.

We thank you for your unwavering commitment and look forward to joining you in future actions that convey a strong and united message… Scrap Harper’s EI Changes! Fix EI! The EI system belongs to workers. We have a right to decent access and benefits. In the name of social justice, fairness and democracy,

Tam Goossen and Carolyn Egan
Co-Chairs of the Good Jobs for All Coalition,
Greater Toronto Area

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