Issues

OTTAWA - “With workers' rights at stake, Liberals joined with the Conservative government to kill a motion designed to level the playing field for workers in federally regulated industries during a strike,” said New Democrat Labour Critic Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain).

Anti-scab legislation had Liberal support in the last Parliament, but this motion failed when Liberals chose to side with the Conservative government.

Meredith Macleod, The Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton Mountain MP Chris Charlton wants to give new moms a real Mother's Day gift this year.

The NDP labour critic will introduce legislation tomorrow that will give better access to regular unemployment insurance benefits to women on maternity leave.

"I'm urging the government to pass this for Mother's Day. New mothers need this more than flowers and chocolate."

The bill targets the 50-week cap on benefits and the so-called anti-stacking provision.

From ctv.ca

The NDP will introduce a bill in the House of Commons this week to change provisions in the Employment Insurance Act that prevent women who are laid off at the end of their maternity leave from continuing their EI coverage.

NDP Labour Critic Chris Charlton said Tuesday morning she will introduce the private member's bill to help new mothers who lose their jobs shortly before or after returning to work and find out they have used up their EI benefits.

New Democrat MP calls on government to fix EI maternity leave inequities before Mother’s Day

OTTAWA – With layoff announcements coming almost daily, new mothers often return to work, only to lose their jobs soon after. Shamefully, many are finding out that they no longer qualify for Employment Insurance they have paid for.

New Democrat Labour Critic, Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain), will introduce a bill this week that fixes provisions in the EI Act that unfairly penalize mothers accessing maternity and parental leave.

Chris Charoton (NDP, Hamilton Mountain):

I rise today to join with people from across this country to mourn workers who have died on the job, to extend our sympathy to workers who have been injured on the job, and to express solidarity with their families, friends, and co-workers.

Ms. Chris Charlton (Hamilton Mountain, NDP):

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition today, signed at a Hamilton forum on job losses, co-chaired by our federal leader, the member for Toronto—Danforth, and Andrea Horvath, the newly elected NDP leader in Ontario.

The workers signed the petition almost to a person, especially after listening to Shannon Horner-Shepherd's heartbreaking story about her struggle to support her disabled daughter, Gabby, and her other three children after losing her well-paying job at U.S. Steel.

Dear Friends,

Economists of all stripes agree that a crucial component of charting the road to recovery, during these difficult economic times is to provide support to those who have lost jobs through no fault of their own. To that end, I moved a motion in the House of Commons calling on the government to improve Employment Insurance so that it is there for workers who have paid into the system and who have become involuntarily unemployed.

By Garrett Zehr, thetyee.ca

British Columbia had the highest increase across the country of regular Employment Insurance recipients over the past year at almost 50 per cent.

According to Statistics Canada data released today, 56,100 British Columbians received EI in January, 47.7 per cent more than in January 2008. The numbers also reveal a nine per cent increase over the previous month alone, well above the national average of 4.4 per cent.

OTTAWA – New Democrat Leader Jack Layton today launched caucus task forces on the economic recovery in Canada and to investigate the effects of the economic crisis on the middle class.

“We are acting on two great challenges facing Canada: reducing the harmful impact of the economic crisis on the middle class and promoting a recovery that puts Canada at the forefront of the 21st century global economy,” said Layton in his address to the New Democrat Federal Council.

By Chris Charlton, for the Hamilton Mountain News

The current economic crisis is creating unprecedented hardship for Canadians. Much has been written already about the lack of steel and auto sector strategies, about the government attacks on pay equity, and about the budget’s gratuitous attack on students struggling to pay off loans.