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Todays Parent award a gold for Surrey bosses but lead for working families

SURREY, B.C. Surrey city workers were puzzled to hear this week that their employer was named one of Canadas top 10 family-friendly employers by Todays Parent magazine.

We are entitled to none of the family friendly benefits the magazine claims we receive, says Laurie Larson, CUPE 402 President, representing the citys 1500 unionized employees.

The report falsely claims that Surrey city workers receive maternity top-up, reduced summer hours, one-week vacation in redemption of unused sick days and day care services. CUPE 402 has tabled such benefits at the negotiating table, but the city has shown no interest in extending these benefits to city workers.

City administrators and managers, on the other hand, are the only ones receiving family friendly benefits and they represent 10 percent of city of Surrey employees, says Larson. This award is meaningless as it only represents a small fraction of employees.

And what about the injustice of a gold family benefit plan for city of Surrey bosses, but lead for city of Surrey working families? says Larson. We look forward to the city of Surrey granting the same family benefits to its workers as it does to its bosses. All families deserve this.

Most GVRD city workers are entitled to maternity top-up Surrey city workers are not. Over 40 percent of Surrey city workers are part-time and receive no benefits whatsoever. Workers are denied requests for flexible hours to accommodate the school/daycare start and end times and are not entitled to paid sick days to care for sick children.

CUPE 402 is writing letters to Todays Parent magazine asking them to reconsider their evaluation in light of the facts and to newspapers that have reported announcement of this misleading award.

CUPE 402 (Canadian Union of Public Employees) represents 1500 city workers that provide quality public services to the residents of Surrey.

Members work hard in the community to help Surrey families through their volunteer and support of the Food Bank, Surrey Social Futures, Homelessness Task Force and adoption of families at Christmas.

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Contact:
Laurie Larsen, CUPE 402 President (604) 230-3757;
Diane Kalen, CUPE Communications, (604) 291-1940, ext. 240.