3 over-hauling the Unemployment

The Federal Government is in the process of
f Insurance
Act, and a great many important changes

_ began to take place on June 27th, 1970. The
» whole over-haul will not be completed until
January Ist, 1974.

The most important features of the new act

are listed below:

COMMENCEMENT OF BENEFITS
Benefits are payable from the second
Sunday following the week in which the em-

_ ployees earnings drop below 2/3 of the normal

weeks earnings. However, any earnings in that
of “interrupted earnings” are deducted

from the initial benefit payment.

SIZE OF BENEFITS
Normally 66 2/3 percent of regular pay up to
maximum of $100.00 benefits per week and with
a minimum benefit of $20.00 per week. To be
eligible for the maximum you have to have had
regular pay of $150.00 per week, or $3.75 per
hour on a 40 hour week basis.

ELIGIBILITY

Contributions for 20 or more weeks in the
last 52 or, if later, since the beginning of the last
qualification period which entitled him to these
insurance benefits, (Major Attachment).
Benefits for a reduced period may be made for
unemployment (but not sickness or maternity)
if contributions are as few as 8 weeks. (Minor
attachment).

DURATION OF PAYMENTS

1. Sickness: Up to 15 weeks.

2. Pregnancy: Up to 9 weeks before con-
finement is expected fo occur and for 6
weeks after confinement. (Major aft-
tachment).

3. Unemployment: Up to 15 weeks during the
initial benefit period with extension up fo 18
additional weeks for those who worked all 52
weeks of the last 52.

This depends on a formula too complicated
fo go into here. If takes into account local
and national unemployment rates.

an

THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

Special Features:

. The 15-week limit applies to all benefits in

the 29 weeks following the initial in-
terruption of earnings (i.e. a second claim in
this 29 week period cannot extend total
payment beyond 15 weeks).

. Any sickness benefits reduce possible

unemployment or maternity benefits in the
29 week period and vice versa.

If tax act now before Parliament passes all
benefits will be insurable, and premiums
will be deductible.

Persons in receipt of Canada Pension Plan
or the Old Age Pension are considered to
have withdrawn from the work force, and
are therefore not eligible for any benefit
(except the automatic three weeks).

Situations Where Sickness Benefits
Not Payable for Full Period

. Those new to the work force with less than

required contributions (no _ sickness
benefits). .

Those over 70 years of age or who have ever
had Canada Pension Plan Payments.
Those who failed to make required con-
tributions due to period of unemployment in

last 52 weeks.

. Those who drew unemployment (or in the

future sickness) benefits within last 29
weeks.

Spouse of the employer (not eligible).
Employed in Canada by an International
Organization and not qualified by special
exception.

Earnings over $100.00 in week when
sickness first occurs, i.e. earnings of $100.00
in first 3 days of week exceed 66 2/3 percent
of maximum insurable earnings so no in-
terruption of earnings” for Unemployment
Insurance purposes.

There Are Some Very Important
Things for You to Remember:
When leaving your employer, always get a
“certificate of separation” (after January

_NEW ULLC. INFORMATION|

1, 1972). It will be required if you want fo file
a claim. Remember that even if you don’t
anticipate being off for a lengthy period, you
may be able to establish your waiting period
so that you can go directly on to benefits
after a later lay-off.

Also remember that the regulations make it
easier to get benefits after quitting than it
used to be.

2. Remember the qualifications for a “major
attachment” you must have worked at least
20 of the past 52 weeks (or 20 weeks since the
last qualification for benefits). This is very
important because the benefits for major
attachments are much wider than for Union
attachments.

3. If you are going to be laid-off, and if you
have a ‘‘major attachment” itis a lot better
to be laid off for 22 days, which will probably
entitle you to three weeks’ benefits, than for
20 days, which will probably entitle you to
nothing except the establishment of your
waiting period.

If you have.a “major attachment”, and if
you are a member of one of our Union weekly
indemnity plans, there is a special com-
plication. If you are sick and draw the 1.W.A.
plans $75 a week, you will be entitled to an
additional $25 per week from the U.I.C.
(assuming you earn $3.75 per hour or more
regularly). But if you COLLECT this $25 (or
even $5 or even $1), you will lose one ENTIRE
WEEK’‘S ENTITLEMENT fo benefits for lay-
offs.

That means you must be very careful about
deciding to draw that extra money. If you are
entitled to the full $25, and if your seniority and
the steadiness of your operation is such that
lengthy lay-offs are unlikely, it would probably
be wise to collect (remember its taxable).

But if you do expect senior lay-offs, or if the
additional benefits are only a couple of taxable
dollars, its best to forego them.

“All

right, all

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

right,’’ creeping up on you is when you

NEW IMAGE FOR B.C. FEDERATION

By CLAY PERRY .
Regional Research Director
The B.C, Federation of

Labour held its Annual Con-
vention November 15 to 19, and
the delegates approved the
new activist image that the
Federation has acquired.

Of particular interest was
the new procedure of adopting
detailed ‘‘policy statements”
on matters of critical im-
portance.

One such paper, on ‘The
Campaign to Divide our
Community”, noted the efforts
of Gaglardi, etc., to drive
wedges of hatred and envy
between trade unionists, the
working poor, and those forced
to live on welfare. The
statement quite rightly pointed
out that if the establishment
succeeds in dividing these
groups, they will be able to go
on forever enjoying their
privileged positions. It also
pointed out, again quite
rightly, that “It is not the .
family on welfare that is
res| ible for our heavy tax
load, it is the tax structure
which has given preferred and
privileged treatment to oil
companies, mining companies
and insurance companies, to
stock promoters and land
speculators, to business
executives and to all who live

ing, not by working.”

Another paper that was
strongly endorsed by the

; HANEY
delegates was one denouncing

any form of wage controls.
Wage controls are a key
element in any strategy to
maintain. the status quo, and
the delegates were virtually
unanimous in declaring that
this particular status quo
should not be maintained.

The public press gave most
attention to a policy statement
on the U.S. Surcharge and
Canada’s foreign trade. This
paper called for Canada to take
a new and vigorous stand on
world trade, seeking out new
trading relationships that
would guarantee Canada’s
sovereignty, provide full
employment, and ensure the
expansion of our secondary
manufacturing capacity.

The general tone of the
convention was activist, and
socially-oriented. I believe
that it followed in particular
the direction that younger
trade unionists have been
seeking from their labour
organizations for. many years.

I believe the Federation
should be congratulated for
showing that it can be done.

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Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing
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BRITISH COLUMBIA

snapped the wife to her logger
husband. ‘‘So I like to spend
money—but just name one
other extravagance!”

+ + +

Said the attractive, cigar
smoking Interior logger’s wife
to her girl friend:

“I got started one night when
Pete came home and found one
burning in the ashtray!”

+ * +

Pouce Coupe Pete says
there’s no fool like an old fool.
You can’t beat experience!

+ % %
Chokerman Charlie says that
a sure sign that old age is

feel your corns more than your
oats.
% * %

A husband, according to
Kamloops Katie, is what is left
of a man after the nerve has
been extracted.

°° +

When a gal gets to be putty in
a man’s hands she usually ends
up in pretty bad shape.

2 % * *

Kamloops Katie says a girl
doesn’t need to worry too much
about her family tree if she’s
got the right kind of limbs.

b

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