During these periods of layoffs, the in-plant and benefits representatives have continued to work on your behalf to assist our members. Since the plant is locked down we have been meeting at the Local hall and working from home to get your issues resolved. The benefits representatives have been extremely busy communicating with Service Canada and their contacts to get people enrolled for Employment insurance, I would like to thank them for all their work in assisting our membership.. As of March 27, 2020, General Motors released a memo stating that due to the changing landscape of COVID-19, we will continue to remain on layoff until further notice.
We are getting a lot of calls and emails on the Covid-19 Emergency Response Benefit and other programs the Liberal Government have been rolling out in the press. Just to be clear these are programs recently announced and must go through for Government approval before they are effective. Our National office is communicating with different levels of government to get an understanding how these programs are going to work, who’s eligible and how they would blend with Supplemental Benefits if collecting. Once the language is in place, we will distribute documentation on who’s eligible and how to apply.
Please continue to practice social distancing and keep you and your family members safe, till we return to work be safe.
Joe Graves