CEIU continues to press for staffing plan to address EI processing problems

Many Employment Insurance claimants continue to wait for their benefits while Service Canada carries on with stop-gap measures to address EI backlogs. Overtime work, shifting pensions staff to EI tasks and the recruitment of retirees will not meet the needs of the growing numbers of Canadians who will turn to EI in the months ahead. National President Jeannette recently told the Globe and Mail that Service Canada must increase its hiring and training programs if service to the public is to improve.

“We need a realistic staffing plan to deal with this crisis” said the National President, “because stop-gap, Band-Aid solutions just won’t get the job done. Our members have been working flat-out but can only do so much – they need real help to improve the situation at work and the quality of service to Canada’s unemployed and elderly.”