Posted: Sunday, 30 November 2008

1. Invest in Our Future: Infrastructure and Procurement

The federal government should, in partnership with the provinces and cities, launch a major multi-year public investment program which would create jobs now, promote our environmental goals and build new industries for the future. It should cover roads, sewers and basic municipal infrastructure; mass transit; passenger rail; affordable housing; energy conservation through building retrofits; and renewable energy.

The program would create many construction and technical jobs and, twinned to a Made in Canada procurement policy, would help support new jobs in manufacturing and services. Government contracts should promote a strong public sector, unionization and inclusion of women and workers of colour in good jobs.

2. Increase Access to Employment Insurance and Training

In a recession, even more workers, especially women and the working poor, will fall though the cracks, or receive inadequate benefits. Now is the time to implement labour's agenda for EI reform. We need a uniform entrance requirement of 360 hours in all regions; benefits based on 60% of earnings over the best 12 weeks; and benefits lasting up to 50 weeks. We also need to increase access to training for laid-off workers so that they can access the new jobs being created though public investment programs, sector strategies and public services investments.

3. Protect Workers' Pensions

Pension plans and retirement savings have been hit hard by the economic crisis. Revenues from a financial transaction tax should fund a significant increase to Old Age Security benefits which would protect today's retired and reduce reliance on pensions and RRSPs. Worker pension plans must be backstopped by a pension guarantee fund, such as exists in the U.S., and flexibility for employers sponsoring pension plans should not come at the cost of insecure pensions.

4. Save Good Manufacturing and Forestry Jobs

The federal government must invest directly in support of sector strategies designed to save jobs in hard hit industries such as auto and pulp and paper through new investment in machinery and equipment, research and development, and worker skills. We also need strategies and investments to support cultural industries, environmental technology, renewable energy and other promising sectors.

Renegotiation of NAFTA and other unfair trade deals should reverse our huge and growing manufacturing trade deficit. Strict limits must be placed on the export of raw resources.

5. Maintain and Expand Services for People

The federal government must maintain all existing transfers to the provinces and cities which help pay for health, post secondary education, training, infrastructure programs and, through equalization, all public services and social programs. New investments in child care and home care and long term care for the elderly would create new jobs while promoting our social goals. Maintaining public health care and extending it to Pharmacare would serve the needs of both working people and employers.