50+ Billions have been already *removed* from the 57 Billion fund, meaning that there is very little left except for a small holding cushion - pay as you go, actually. Like my cellphone plan!

Incredible and unbelievable. Shameful. One of these days...or not.

That creative accounting theft goes right back to Trudeau and his idea that the next generation should pay for today's drunken party. Taxpayers always have more money hidden away that the government will find.

Make a new tax.

It took me almost 2 months to get my E.I. I am a seasonal worker and my husband only works 4 days a week. Us as every one else deserve to be helped since we put the money in the fund for times like. Our ends don't meet anymore never mind being able to go and have something extra. We will be there to support. With Winton Global going down hurt us and there a lot of families, living apart, working far away and gone fore 10 day's at a time, that is no way for people to have to live unless that is YOUR choice to do so.

for years seasonal workers have faced this dilema without any help from other workers. Now that the shoe is on the other foot listen to the newly unemployed scream. Now you realize that it could happen to you. You also have to remeber that you could be injuried and if you think unemployment is hard to get wait till you face the compensation board. You will wish that you were unemployed. A united front should be made before the government. Take the resrections off the EI and WCB. Make the 2 acts what they were meant to be.

It is what it is. People have to get off their butts and get out. It might be painful for a while but the economy will come back eventually. The forest industry will recover eventually. Until then if you have to go elsewhere for work then do it. I cannot believe how many people I know out there just sitting back waiting for something to happen. MOVE ON PEOPLE!

As for the Govt. stealing from the taxpayers. Its Government. What did you expect?

Perhaps I'm wrong but isn't Alf a former employee of USW. I'm just wondering what happend to all the union dues that former mill workers paid over the years. Is there NO money from USW to help laid off mill employees?

What about the unemployed foresty worker who can't move because their spouse is in a very good paying job with benefits and pension? Living apart is not good. We're going to start seeing more families torn apart because the unemployed spouse has to move to find work.

If the forest industry takes five years to recover to any sort of extent, should EI benefits cover everyone for that time?

Everybody's situation is different, but you have to do what's best for your family. I left the forest industry during the last downturn and haven't looked back. Others should do the same.

Well Mercenary, I agree we should get up of our butts and work provided we do not have to pay the EMPLOYOR for giving me the job. At $8.50 per hour and 4 hours a day and 4 days a week plus the gas to get there and no transit to ride we are paying them and no further ahead. And the USW are not helping at all they should be fighting for the members who put the money in their pockets in the first place. It is real easy for you to say, you probable have a nice paying job somewhere and the hell with the rest of us, I am thankfull we do still have a job for now.

I have maintained all along that Paul Martin the (Mr. Dithers) of the Liberal Party never was a financial genius as some would have you beleive.

Paul Martin took all the credit for balancing the budgets when he was finance Minister, however he rarely if ever mentioned the fact he was able to do so by diverting $47 Billion from the EI Fund to General Revenues, and reducing transfers of money to the Provinces.

Now is the time for some of these EI
Contributions to be paid back to the unemployed.

Yes Rugratsmom in fact I think Alf is currently working at USW in PG. For sure there is an Alf something helping with WCB problems that members are having.

Hey Mercenary Try and get a job in Mackenzie or ft st james good luck and if you need a good paying job you would have to leave and pay to mortages or would have to rent It to bad you feel this way let's hope it don't happen to you.

It did happen to me. I lost my job when the paper mill shut down here in Mackenzie. I did move away. I am paying the equivalent of 2 mortgages. I still own my home in Mackenzie and I rent a place in Grande Prairie.

My point is that people need to move on. You can't sit around waiting for others to take care of you or solve your problems.

RugratsMom

Alf being a former employee , what does that matter?
I believe Alf is just as unemployed as the rest of us. - he helped organize the rally in Mackenzie to highlight their situation and he is just trying to do the same this time. As far as the union dues - they go to operating the union.The USW Local has assisted hundreds of laid off workers through the Rapid Response Team and the work of Terry Tate.

Unless I am mistaken, EI was never intended to tie people over until the job they lost came back. As an insurance program, it's purpose is to provide people with a very moderate income source while they find new employment, employment that may not be as good as what they had.

The whole situation is tough but I think Mercenary nailed it. At some point you do have to make the decision to move on when it's clear that things won't be going back to what they were.

Hey mercenary you got severance and the company told you they are never going to open that mill again if that was true for people who worked in the sawmills they probably would all move on like you did and pay off their mortages and get a job out of town we could move on if the company wasn't holding us hostage with the chance the sawmills will reopen

E.I. is just a tax folks. Not really an insurance plan. Just like real "insurance" companies they are not in business to pay out money. Just collect. By the way if your union has a job security clause in it's contract why do you have to pay into E.I?

Just the Facts: While I did recieve a severance from Abitibi it was nowhere near enough to pay off my mortgage. Mine amounted to a little less than 6 grand. At the time that was about 1.5 months worth of expenses.

Look, I'm not saying it will be easy. We've struggled with the whole situation at times ourselves. However waiting for someone else to come along and change our circumstance for the better just isn't in the cards. Take the initative now and regain control over what is happening to you.

My gawd I sound like a motivational speaker :)

If you need an EI extension to help cover costs while you retrain for another career then I can support that idea. If you want an EI extension to remain in Mackenzie or wherever just in case Canfor or Abitibi will open again in the future well then that is a problem.

people got to know that every company get breaks from every part of government the people of mackenzie and fort st james are not looking for to much if the govt can bailout the auto industy what about the common people what some people should know is not all the people in mackenzie and ft st james have the abilitity to get retrained . The govt has no problems giving theselves raise but they have a hard time raising the minumin wage to ten dollars we are all in this for the long haul It does matter what the people need the present govt will not help anyone but big business