Forest Industry Crisis

Forest industry and unions say immediate changes to Employment Insurance rules are needed to help displaced forestry workers.

The Forest Products Sector Council says the sector has bled 100-thousand jobs since 2005 and about 40-thousand are stillunemployed.

The United Steelworkers and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada suggest the federal and provincial governments have failed to address the scope of the industrycollapse.

But Kenora M-P Greg Rickford say the Harper government hasalready made E-I reforms, citing an extra five weeks of regularbenefits and investments in training as examples.