The purpose of this notification is to provide the necessary information to file for Employment Insurance Benefits for any active Unifor Local 707 Unit #1 (Ford) members that are laid off for: PP41 for the week beginning Sunday, September 30th to October 6th, 2018. (Read the following information very carefully, so that you clearly understand your rights and responsibilities when applying for E.I. and S.U.B.)
Eligibility
As this week is considered a layoff period you may choose to apply E.I. Benefits ONLY IF:
1. You remain available for work.
? This means you are remaining within two hours from your home and in the province of Ontario.
? This means you will report to work any day, Monday through Friday, should the Ford Motor Company, or any other employer call upon you to do so.
2. You accurately report to Service Canada.
? Any absences from Ontario.
? All gross earnings during the week of Sunday, September 30th , 2018 to Saturday, October 6th , 2018, this includes any worked hours, vacation pay form the Ford Motor Company, any other employer or any type of self-employment.
Note: If you are working at the Ford Motor Company and have wages or vacation of more than 26 hours, or are in receipt Sickness and Accident or WSIB payments during this scheduled shutdown week, DO NOT apply for E.I. Benefits at this time.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are not willing to remain available for work or accurately report all absences and earnings you should not apply for E.I. Benefits. If Service Canada were to determine you knowingly withheld information or misrepresented the facts to make a false claim, they will consider it an act of committing fraud; as such you may be financially penalized and/or prosecuted.
New Employment Insurance Claim (E.I. waiting periods NOT served) (Note: For the minority of members at this time)
Any person starting a brand new E.I. claim, or serving a waiting period on an existing claim will have any monies earned or received deducted dollar for dollar from any benefit that would otherwise be payable. Therefore, individuals with any vacation pay or work earnings during the scheduled layoff from Sunday, September 30th to Saturday, October 6th 2018 should seriously consider whether it is worth applying for E.I. at this time. As during any Employment Insurance waiting period an individual with gross earnings in excess of $547.00 (the maximum allowable earnings in a waiting period), would not be able to establish a waiting period during this time.
Already Established Employment Insurance Claim (E.I. waiting periods served) (Note: For the majority of members at this time)
For those with existing E.I. claims with a waiting period already served and established by Service Canada, you are eligible to receive a weekly Employment Insurance benefit and any benefit will be reduced by approximately 50% of any gross earnings you report for the week. Should you have no earnings during the week of Sunday, September 30th to Saturday, October 6th, 2018 you will be entitled to an E.I. benefit, to a maximum of $547.00.
Additional Information
Please note you will be asked to provide your last day worked or paid, which for most, will be Friday, September 28th, 2018. For those who are asked to work during the weekend, please reflect the last day worked correctly, and remember any earnings for work performed on Sunday, September 30th 2018 will be considered earnings for the week of Sunday September 30th, 2018 to Saturday October 6th, 2018 and may exceed any allowable earnings for E.I. purposes.
The Ford Motor Company of Canada will submit a Record of Employment (R.O.E.) electronically to Service Canada on your behalf; therefore you do not need to request copies from Ford payroll.
However, if you were recently hired and currently do not have an established Employment Insurance claim, to obtain the required insurable hours to qualify for Regular E.I. benefits you may need to request a R.O.E. from any past employers that you may have had over the last 52 week period, which did not previously send your R.O.E. electronically to Service Canada. If your previous employer provides you with a paper format R.O.E., pass it on to the In-plant UNIFOR Benefit Office and it will be delivered to Service Canada on your behalf.
Shortly after you complete the application online you will receive a 4 digit Personal Access Code in the mail to use for completing your reports either by phone or online. It is important to complete your reports, for all the time you were unpaid, in a timely manner.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your E.I. claim or application you can access your E.I. account online by signing up for ‘My Service Canada’ account. If it is necessary to call the inquiry line at 1-800-206-7218, be sure to provide the reference code above to ensure you receive the information that pertains to the ‘Automotive Employment Insurance Application’.
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FILING PROCEDURES – STEP 1
Read the following information very carefully, so that you clearly understand your rights and responsibilities when applying for Employment Insurance.
If you do not have an existing Employment Insurance claim or the claim has gone dormant because you have not continued your Bi-weekly reports, you will be required to apply for Employment Insurance online. The application can be completed starting Monday October 1st 2018, but must be completed no later than 2 weeks after a layoff. Employment Insurance is and has always been a government program administrated by a federal branch currently known as Service Canada, which determines how unemployed in Canada apply and receive benefits based on the Employment Insurance Act. Service Canada determines how application is made by a claimant, which is why it is your responsibility to apply for Employment Insurance online using Service Canada’s Automotive Employment Insurance Application with the reference code below. To Complete an Application Online go to: www.servicecanada.gc.ca
Once on the Service Canada Website click “English” then once on the appropriate page click on “Apply for Employment Insurance”
Note: Should you have problems finding the web page, do a Google search for “Application for Employment Insurance Benefits Online”. Once you have found the appropriate page, prior to starting your E.I. Application you should know or have:
1. Required personal information for the E.I. application
You will be asked for, and should have on hand, your Social Insurance Number, the correct spelling of your Mothers maiden name (last name upon her birth) and any banking information for direct deposit purposes, this is optional and only necessary if the information has changed since last in receipt of benefits, or if not set up with Service Canada.
2. Required employment information for the E.I. application
The Ford Motor Company of Canada will submit a Record of Employment (ROE) electronically to Service Canada on your behalf; therefore you do not need to request copies from the Ford Motor Company.
3. Reactivating or terminating a previous E.I. claim
If you already have started and established an Employment Insurance claim for benefits within the past 52 weeks and there are weeks still payable, that claim will automatically be reactivated when you complete the E.I. application online.
4. The Privacy Notice Statement / start your E.I. application
Read the privacy statement and scroll down the page and “Click” Start Application
Start to Finish Step by Step Instructions
Introduction
If you had attempted an application within the last 24 hours you will be given an opportunity to retrieve any information you had previously inputted by entering your personal information as well as the temporary password which was presented when you started that application. If you are not retrieving a previous application select No and “click” Continue…
Type of Employment Insurance Application
When asked what type of Employment Insurance benefits would you like to claim?
Select: Benefits for employees “Click” Continue…..
Reference Code
To ensure that your on-line application is processed at our designated Service Canada branch it is very important that you answer YES to the question asking if you are part of a group lay off situation and were you given a reference code to submit this application? Enter the New reference code exactly as indicated below.
3515043515707708 Click Continue…
Specialized Application
Read disclaimer statement in which you are indicating that you are applying for regular benefits, on a temporary layoff, that you are ready, willing and capable of working and would accept temporary employment in the same type of work and wages…. “Click” Continue….
Identity Information
Input you’re Social Insurance Number, your Birthday, Last Name, First Name, Last Name at Birth, Gender and your Mother’s Maiden Name (Mother’s Family Name at her Birth). “Click” Continue…
Identity validation
Review Identity information to ensure you have provided the correct information.
If correct “Click” Continue….
Temporary Password Identification Number
After inputting your personal information you will be given a temporary password identification number. Write down this reference as this is the number they will ask for if for any reason you are unable to complete this application and are required to retrieve it for completion within 24 hours. “Click” Continue….
Personal Information
Enter which language you would prefer to speak English or French, your Area code and home phone number, your postal code, Home address and whether or not your Home address is different from your mailing address. “Click” Continue…..
Direct Deposit
This is optional and based on the information you provide to Service Canada. If you had previously set up direct deposit, for which no information has changed, and answer YES to the questions and any benefit you are to receive will be directly deposited into your account. If you have not previously elected the direct deposit option, or wish to change the information currently on file at Service Canada, you should have a cheque on hand in order to reference the banking information needed. “Click” Continue…
Last Employer Information
Provide the Business name of your most recent Employer: Ford Motor Company.
First day worked is an optional question that is not required to be answered, but you may enter your Seniority Date if you wish.
Last Day Worked: the last day for which you worked or paid before you were laid-off.
Example #1 – (Most likely for the majority) Friday, September 28th 2018 “Click” Continue….
Variable Best Weeks
(This is likely the most difficult question to answer throughout the application)
Scenario #1– For New Members whose hourly rate of pay is under $30.00 and worked at least 5 months during the preceding 53 weeks prior to the layoff. You will be asked,” In the last year did you work less than (19-23) weeks? (i.e.: 53 weeks leading up to August 12th 2018) if the answer is NO,
You will be asked, “Did your earnings vary over the last 53 weeks?” If the answer is YES (which it should be for everyone.)
You will be asked” Were your average gross Weekly earnings (before deductions) in the last 53 weeks equal to or greater than $994.00? Answer NO
You will then be told “The information you provide about your best weeks’ earnings may not be used if it conflicts with information from previous claims…” and then asked “Are you able to provide the details for each week your earnings were at their highest?” Answer NO
(You should answer NO, as chances are, over the last year your employment was only with the Ford Motor Company. The company will provide your R.O.E. to Service Canada which will reflect all varying weeks over the 53 weeks, therefore there is no need for you to do the same) “Click” Continue
Scenario #2–For Senior and New Members, regardless of hourly rate, who worked less than 5 months during the preceding 53 weeks prior to the lay-off. You will be asked,” In the last year did you work less than (19-23) weeks? ‘(i.e.: 53 weeks leading up to August 10th 2018) if the answer is YES “Click” Continue…
Scenario #3–For most Members who worked at least 5 months during the preceding 53 weeks prior to the layoff. You will be asked,” In the last year did you work less than (19-23) weeks? (i.e.: 53 weeks leading up to August 12th 2018) if the answer is NO, You will be asked, “Did your earnings vary over the last 53 weeks?” If the answer is YES (which it should be for everyone.) You will be asked” Were your average gross Weekly earnings (before deductions) in the last 53 weeks equal to or greater
than $994.00? Answer YES
Third Party Assistance
Answer whether or not someone else completed the application on your behalf.
“Click” Continue….
Rights and Responsibilities
You will now be asked to review the Rights and Responsibilities section, consisting of 6 pages. Your responsibilities are outlined beginning page 3, including the necessity to report any prolonged absence from your normal place of residence or the country during this period. You must be ready, able and looking for work to satisfy the conditions of collecting an E.I benefit or establishing a waiting period.
To continue application, select; I accept Rights and Responsibilities. “Click” Continue….
Attestation
A statement in which you indicate you completed the application truthfully, you understand the Rights and Responsibilities while applying for Employment Insurance Regular Benefits and that you understand by knowing making a false statement you are subject to penalty or criminal proceedings.
Accept the Statement and complete the Application. “Click” Continue…
Confirmation and Information
The application is now complete and you will be given an opportunity to print out or write down a confirmation number.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your E.I. claim or application you can access your E.I. account online by signing up for My Service Canada Account. If it is necessary to call the inquiry line at 1-800-206-7218, be sure to provide the reference code above to ensure you receive the information that pertains to an Automotive Employment Insurance application.
IMPORTANT STEP 2-Employment Insurance Reporting
Shortly after you complete the application online you will receive a Personal Access Code # in the mail to use for completing your reports either by phone or online. It is important to complete your reports, and accurately report for all the time you were laid-off, in a timely manner, to establish an Employment Insurance waiting period or receive an Employment Insurance benefit.
In solidarity,
Paul Ivey, Tim Batke
UNIFOR Local 707 Unit# 1 Benefit Representative and Alternate Benefit Representative
