Tag Archives: Employment Insurance
‘This catastrophe rivals the cod moratorium’: Newfoundland crab fleets won’t fish for $2.20 a pound, FFAW is considering ‘political actions’
They’re not going to fish. That’s the promise from crab fleets in Newfoundland and Labrador Thursday, April 6, after the Fish Price Setting panel announced its decision on snow crab prices to start the season. The panel chose the offer of $2.20 a pound submitted by the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), a 10 cent increase from their initial offer. The Fish Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) negotiating committee had suggested $3.10, lowering their original offer of $3.48. In a news release Thursday afternoon, FFAW president Greg Pretty said the decision by the panel, “has put our industry in the most precarious position it’s ever been in.” “When it comes to dollars and cents, this catastrophe rivals the cod moratorium,” he said, repeating words first spoken by inshore fish harvester Jason Sullivan during protests over quotas for the inshore fleet earlier this month in St. John’s. >click to read< 11:38
FFAW seeking clarification on EI extension for fishery – Fish harvester wants answers
President Keith Sullivan says his impression was that all fishery workers would be covered by the extension that was announced earlier this week, but now he’s hearing concern that plant workers are covered but fish harvesters are not. Alfred Fitzpatrick is an inshore fisherman out of Garnish on the Burin Peninsula. He says that the extra five weeks of EI would greatly benefit fish harvesters. He questioned an FFAW decision to issue a press release about the EI victory when doubts still remain about whether harvesters will qualify as well. “There’s a good news story for some of the membership but not all. And some of the most vulnerable are being left behind again. I don’t like it,” said Fitzpatrick, who sits on the FFAW’s inshore council. >click to read<21:31
La Scie store owner explains why fishermen risk pack ice – ‘People are desperate’
“Desperate times” are driving fishermen to risk their boats and their lives by heading out into waters clogged with heavy pack ice, according to a store owner in La Scie, who is also the father of one of the crew members rescued Wednesday off Newfoundland’s Baie Verte Peninsula. “This time of year, you got your insurances and payments and things and you got to get fishing. Most people around here haven’t drawn EI [employment insurance] or anything from probably the middle of January,” said Neil Ward, who runs the La Scie Stop ‘N’ Shop. “People are finding the pinch, finding it hard going … People are desperate.” Ward’s son was on the Avalon Princess, which started taking on water Wednesday afternoon and eventually sank.,,”All the inshore boats are not fishing, their EI has run out and it doesn’t seem like anyone gives a crap about it.” click here to read the story 08:18
Amended Employment Insurance rules will make it easier for self-employed fishermen to enroll
Changes to federal rules surrounding employment insurance will soon make it easier for self-employed fishermen to enroll in the program. The amendments will scrap EI fishing regulations for new entrants and re-entrants that were originally introduced in 1978. The new changes Ottawa is looking to make would require self-employed fishermen to reach a lower insurable-earnings entrance requirement of between $2,500 and $4,200. That’s compared to the previous amount of $5,500 in the qualifying period. Read the rest here 19:39
