International Women's Day marks 'continued struggle for equality'-CUPE Newfoundland and Labrador

ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR--(Marketwire - March 7, 2012) - CUPE NL President Wayne Lucas says for this year's International Women's Day (IWD) his union and the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) are focusing on the issue of 'work-life balance'.

Says Lucas, "The challenges that working women in Canada face in balancing work and family responsibilities - from child care to housing to pay equity - make the demands of working life that much harder for them. Until we being to acknowledge and address this as a society, women will continue to struggle for equality in this country," suggests Lucas.

As the largest union in Canada - and one that is predominantly female - CUPE views March 8 and the activities that surround it as an important reminder to all Canadians that equality continues to elude many in our society.

Says Lucas, "Closer to home, the Dunderdale government could go a long way to addressing women's equality in this province by pushing ahead with badly-needed reforms to our child care system. And she need look no further than Prince Edward Island which is charging ahead in the direction of more publicly-delivered early childhood education and care initiatives."