British Columbia Federation of Labour

REGINA - Canada's Territorial and Provincial Federations of Labour, representing more than two million workers, called on the Premiers to act immediately to revamp the Canada Pension Plan, to dramatically improve employment insurance benefits for Canadians and to jumpstart stimulus funding targeted to creating jobs for Canadians.

"Now is the time to implement concrete solutions. With more than 1.5 million Canadians unemployed, and fewer than 50 per cent of them receiving employment insurance benefits, our Premiers need to respond immediately to the crisis," says Jim Sinclair, President of the B.C. Federation of Labour.

Today the Federation Presidents also endorsed a new joint statement signed by over a dozen labour and civil society groups, including the Council of Canadians.
The statement calls on the Council of the Federation to reject any federal proposals that would eliminate or restrict their ability to ensure that public procurement policies maximize benefits to the local and Canadian economies.

"Canadians are tired of economic policies that move decent jobs offshore, and will only send our economy into a deeper recession. We need policies that protect jobs in Canada, not export jobs from Canada. More North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and more free trade will mean higher unemployment," added Sinclair.
Premiers are expected to decide this week on a federal proposal regarding procurement under NAFTA and also to discuss pension reform.

"Local procurement policies are what keep communities strong," said Sinclair. "They create greater local employment, increase tax revenues, encourage communities to buy locally and environmentally sustainable goods and services, and can be drivers of innovation and economic diversity. They also allow governments to set proactive policies that are best for their communities."

The Federation Presidents will also be making concrete proposals on pension reform aimed at extending coverage to the 65 percent of working Canadians who currently have no pension.

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For more information: Evan Stewart, Director of Communications (604) 430-1421.