Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the locked-out workers at Texada Quarrying on Texada Island.
The Texada Quarrying is a profitable operation, owned by a multinational firm, LafargeHolcim. On October 17, the company locked out more than 60 workers after unsuccessful contract negotiations. Since that time, locked-out workers and their families have lived through a difficult holiday season and long winter.
It may come as a surprise to some members of the House that workers affected by labour disputes are not eligible for employment insurance. This simply does not make sense in the case of companies locking out workers.
New Democrats know that we must improve the employment insurance system so that it better meets the needs of working people in this changing economy. I believe it is high time for us to amend the El Act so that workers affected by lockouts can access employment insurance benefits, the benefits workers have paid into for decades in some cases.