Good afternoon.
I'd like to thank the parliamentarians for inviting Mouvement autonome et solidaire des sans-emploi, or MASSE, the organization I represent, to appear before the committee today. MASSE brings together organizations in Quebec that advocate on behalf of unemployed workers. We represent 15 or so organizations across the province that work day in and day out with people who, for the most part, are having trouble accessing benefits. We provide them with support and assist them in dealing with the EI struggles they face, sometimes involving the Canada Employment Insurance Commission.
Today, I will be speaking to you about not just the recent changes to the EI system and their impact, but also the previous changes that, beginning in the early 1990s, spawned a steady and gradual erosion of the system, as well as access challenges.