Windsor West NDP MP Brian Masse along with local union leaders are asking the federal government to change the regulations to the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit (CERB).
Under current regulations, workers cannot receive payments from their supplemental unemployment benefit plans, which have been negotiated with employers and are registered with Service Canada.
"It's been unresolved now for six weeks and so we're following up with a company to put pressure on the minister, Minister [Carla] Qualtrough to follow through to exempt these benefits from the CERB," says Masse.
He says letters have been fired off to the Minister of Employment and he wants this dealt with as soon as possible because it's impacting auto workers wages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We all know that a number of different things changed in our lives, a lot of unpredictable things have taken place. We've had to work as families, as community members and our go about our jobs and one thing we can do though is create predictability as it relates to this benefit program," says Masse.
"So what's happening right now is we can't get a decision to exclude these benefits," he says. "This is hundreds of dollars per week, thousands of dollars for our community, it's going to be quite significant if they are not actually negotiated as part of the deal."
CERB pays out approximately $500 per week to qualified workers off work due to COVID-19.
According to Masse, workers could face potential penalties, which could include repayment of all CERB funds if the regulations aren't changed.