Author: paul

After an overnight session, the Canadian Parliament has passed the new COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, ensuring that Canada has the tools and flexibility to respond quickly to the rising challenges being posed by the COVID-19 virus.
The Act includes the new Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB), which will provide $2000 a month for the next 4 months to workers who lose their income as a result of COVID-19.
This taxable benefit would provide $2,000 a month for up to four months for workers who lose income as a result of the pandemic. The CERB would be a simpler and more accessible combination of the previously announced Emergency Care Benefit and Emergency Support Benefit.
The CERB would cover Canadians who have lost their job, are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19, as well as working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children who are sick or at home because of school and daycare closures. The CERB would apply to wage earners, as well as contract workers and self-employed individuals who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance (EI).
Additionally, workers who are still employed, but are not receiving income because of disruptions to their work situation due to COVID-19, would also qualify for the CERB. For businesses, this will keep their employees as they navigate the crisis, while preserving the ability to quickly resume operations as soon as it becomes possible.
Canadians who are already receiving EI regular and sickness benefits as of today will continue to receive benefits and need not apply to the CERB. If their EI benefits end before October 3, 2020, they can apply then once their benefits cease.  This is If they are unable to return to work due to COVID-19.
Canadian members who have already applied for EI and whose application has not yet been processed  need not reapply. Canadians who are eligible for EI regular and sickness benefits will still be able to access their normal EI benefits, if still unemployed, after the 16-week period covered by the CERB.
The portal for accessing the CERB would be available in early April. EI eligible Canadians who have lost their job can continue to apply for EI here, as can Canadians applying for other EI benefits.
Canadian members will begin to receive their CERB payments within 10 days of application. The CERB will be paid every four weeks and be available from March 15, 2020 until October 3, 2020.
 

The purpose of this page is to serve as an information clearinghouse for clear and accurate information about emergency legislative an regulatory activity regarding the COVID-19 outbreak affecting the general public along with SMART members and their families.  This site is to serve as a useful source of information for members searching for the most up to date legislative information affecting them.
https://www.smart-union.org/news/faq-on-unemployment-insurance-benefits-under-covid-19-relief/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/cares-act-corona-virus-phase-iii-passes-congress/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/canada-passes-new-covid-19-emergency-response-act-including-new-benefit-for-workers/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/families-first-act-signed-into-law-here-is-how-this-effects-members/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/provincial-resources-and-benefits-available-for-canadian-workers-impacted-by-covid-19/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/state-resources-and-benefits-available-for-workers-impacted-by-covid-19/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/coronavirus-preparedness-and-response-bill-passed-to-address-emergency-preparedness/
https://www.smart-union.org/news/new-emergency-ei-benefits-passed-in-canada/

Below is a summary of EI sickness benefits, EI regular benefits, the new Emergency Care Benefit and a new Emergency Support Benefit for Canadian members passed by the Canadian government.

 EI Sickness Benefits

Workers that have been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus or are engaging in a public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine may apply for Employment Insurance sickness benefits. Workers applying for EI sickness benefits must have:

• experienced a decrease in gross earnings of more than 40% for at least one week;
• accumulated 600 insurable work hours in the 52 weeks prior to the start of a claim; and
• been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus or are engaging in a public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine

EI sickness benefits provide workers with up to 55% of their gross earnings up to a maximum of $573 per week for up to a maximum of 15 weeks. The Federal Government has recently announced that it will be waiving the otherwise mandatory one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits for those who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or those who are engaging public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine. The Federal Government has also indicated that claimants will be eligible for EI sickness benefits without the usual requirement of a doctor’s note or other medical certificate.

Workers that have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or are engaging in a public health authority directed self-isolation and/or quarantine should file a claim for EI sickness benefits immediately. Any delay in filing a claim could give rise to a denial or reduction of EI sickness benefits.

For more information on EI sickness benefits, including eligibility requirements, please visit this link.

The Federal Government has also set up a new dedicated toll-free phone number for workers in quarantine:  Telephone: 1-833-381-2725 (toll-free)

EI Regular Benefits

Provided workers have the requisite number of insurable work hours in the qualifying period, employees that are otherwise healthy and capable of working may apply for Employment Insurance regular benefits arising from a loss of employment due to COVID-19.

The qualifying period is the shorter of the 52 week period prior to the start of any benefit claim or the period from the start of a previous benefit claim to the start of your new benefit claim if the employee applied for benefits earlier and the application was approved in the last 52 weeks. Generally speaking, employees will need between 420 and 700 hours of insurable employment based on the unemployment rate in the employee’s area during the qualifying period to qualify for EI regular benefits.

EI regular benefits provide an employee with up to 55% of their gross earnings up to a maximum of $573 per week. The length of any EI regular benefit entitlement varies from region to region depending on the unemployment levels in the region where the employee works. Currently, the Federal Government has NOT waived the mandatory one-week waiting period for EI regular benefits for those employees who have been laid-off as a result of a COVID-19 slow-down.  For more information on EI regular benefits, including eligibility requirements, please visit this link.

Emergency Care Benefit

The Federal Government recently announced the creation of an Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks administered through CRA for those workers who don’t otherwise qualify for EI sickness benefits and/or EI regular benefits.

The Federal Government has indicated the Emergency Care Benefit will be available to the following class of workers:

• Workers, including the self-employed, who are quarantined or sick with COVID-19 but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits;
• Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent, but do not quality for EI sickness benefits; and
• Parents with children who require care or supervision due to school closures, and are unable to earn employment income, irrespective of whether they qualify for EI or not.

Based on these initial eligibility requirements indicated by the Federal Government, the new Emergency Care Benefit appears to be available to piece work subcontractors in the construction industry, “gig” economy workers and part-time employees who would otherwise not be eligible for EI sickness benefits and/or EI regular benefits.

For more information on the Emergency Care Benefit, please visit this link:

Emergency Support Benefit

The Federal Government also recently announced the creation of an Emergency Support Benefit for Canadians who lose their jobs or face reduced hours as a result of COVID-19’s impact. The Emergency Support Benefit will be delivered through the CRA to provide up to $5.0 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment. Details of the benefit amounts payable to individuals and eligibility requirements for this benefit have yet to be articulated by the Federal Government. The Federal Government has indicated the Emergency Support Benefit will provide payments comparable to EI and last for 14 weeks. When further details become available, they will be communicated to members

SASMI will provide all eligible and qualified participants unable to work during any part of the remaining 2020A Stabilization Period due to exposure to COVID-19, displaced from employment as a result of COVID-19, or who have voluntarily removed themselves from the workforce in response to COVID-19 with a special emergency benefit. The details of the benefit and application forms can be found on our website at www.sasmi.org. Generally, the benefit will be equal to one week of wages as defined in their CBA (usually forty (40) hours) of journeypersons pay, or derivative thereof, in any month (March, April, May and June) in which a member as a direct effect of COVID-19 is displaced, quarantined or voluntarily removed from the workforce and does not receive wages from their employer for at least one week.
This payment(s) will not affect your qualification or eligibility for unemployment or underemployment benefits to which you may be entitled to for the 2020 A-Period and will not be counted against those benefits. The benefit, however, will count as a benefit received in determining, in the future, whether you have met the 200% rule and in determining severance and retiree HCRA benefits.
Later this week members will be able to make application via our website (www.sasmi.org). Once there, use the link labeled “COVID-19”. All questions must be answered in order to be considered for this benefit. Once submitted, SASMI will validate your qualifications for this benefit including, as appropriate, contacting your Local Union Representative or Employer.
Due to staffs limited office availability during this time and to expedite payment we will temporarily only be able to process ACH payments to a member’s bank. Benefits that need to be paid by check may be delayed.

SMART takes all threats to members and the general public seriously and stands ready to assist those in our communities when dealing with the coronavirus outbreak.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Canadian Public Health Agency (PHA) have been responding to the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and have confirmed that the virus has infected a growing group of people in North America.
SMART members, including those working on job sites, production shops, bus and transit operators along with those work on the freight railroads, interact with the public on a daily basis and are at a heightened risk of contracting communicable diseases.
This requires that each member be vigilant, be prepared and come together.
COVID-19 symptoms are like those of influenza (Examples include fever, cough and shortness of breath), and the current outbreak is occurring during a season when respiratory illnesses from influenza and other viruses exist. Symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after initial exposure. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), that people who are most at risk for hospitalization/ severe symptoms are either people over age 65 with weakened immune systems due to age, or those who have underlying chronic diseases such as COPD and hypertension.
SMART is monitoring the situation and will continue to communicate with members as developments progress.
Visit the SMART Emergency Legislative Alert page for updates on the impact of the legislative and regulatory response to the COVID-19 crisis on members as well as links to available government resources. 
TD members: Report COVID-19 protocols not being followed
Transportation Division President Jeremy Ferguson’s statement to members regarding COVID-19.