Representatives from local automakers are calling on the federal government to make changes to the Canadian Emergency Relief Benefit.
Under the current regulations, employees cannot use supplemental unemployment benefits without having to pay back some or all of the CERB come tax time.
“These long-established benefits were the result of workers standing up for fairness and respect for decades in tough negotiations during difficult times. Without the government making a few simple rule changes these hard-won gains are put at risk. Workers and their families’ economic lives are made more precarious,” said Unifor Local 200 President John D’Agnolo.
D'Agnolo said the issue affects employees in many sectors of the economy and needs to be looked at as soon as possible.
"We understand that when the government put the program together there was a lot of things they still had to look at and we had brought it forward as leadership within the big three," said D'Agnolo. "It hasn't been resolved yet after six weeks."
D'Agnolo said letters have been sent to the Minister of Employment Carla Qualtrough and the issue has been discussed with MP for Windsor-Tecumseh Irek Kusmierczyk.
