Source : Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) - Ottawa

CUPE representatives to speak at EI Service Quality Review consultations in St. John's

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR--(Marketwired - July 11, 2016) - CUPE representatives from Newfoundland and Labrador will speak at an upcoming public town hall session, as part of the federal government's Employment Insurance Service Quality Review. The session will take place:

Tuesday, July 12 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Ministers' Regional Offices 10 Fort William, 8th floor, Suite 801, St. John's, NL

Atlantic Canadians encounter too many challenges when trying to access Employment Insurance. This includes the inadequate number of Service Canada workers and the amount of workers that are in temporary positions, which negatively impacts service delivery.

"Understaffing at Service Canada call centres has created long wait times and delayed benefits. Many people are frustrated and the delays cause real-life problems for them and their families," says CUPE NL President Wayne Lucas. "The centres need more well-trained workers, with good permanent jobs, to improve services." CUPE also encourages members to participate in the review by completing the online survey available on the Service Canada website.

The Liberal government's 2016 budget includes $92 million to make improvements to the administration of the program. A summary report of the feedback received during the consultations will be released this later this year.

Contact Information:

Wayne Lucas
President, CUPE NL
(709) 727-2509 (m)

Colleen Reynolds
CUPE Communications Rep.
(613) 203-2253 (m)
creynolds@cupe.ca