Washington, D.C. --Today, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) released the statement of Secretary-Treasurer Anna Burger, on a new UC Berkeley report showing that unionized workplaces embrace more family-friendly policies.

The report, authored by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the Labor Project for Working Families, found that companies with more unionized workers are more likely to pay for family health insurance premiums, embrace paid leave, and allow the use of personal leave to care for a sick child.

Said Burger:

Today's report underscores that, at a time when many greedy corporations are cruelly cutting wages, healthcare and retirement security, unionized workplaces continue to promote family-friendly policies that build a strong middle-class.

"As a mother, I know that millions of women struggle to raise a healthy, happy family while their employers refuse to allow them to care for a sick child, or to provide affordable healthcare. Passing the Employee Free Choice Act, critical legislation that would allow workers to bargain with their employers for better wages and benefits, would have ripple effects across the economy.

"Right now, our economy is going full-throttle down a devastating path that's shrinking the middle class, headed towards eliminating it entirely. We need policies that hold CEOs accountable, build our middle class, and focus on strengthening our families."

To read the full report, "Family-Friendly Workplaces: Do Unions Make a Difference?" go to http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu or http://www.working-families.org.

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