Prince George brings home the gold

PRINCE GEORGE—CUPE municipal workers are to be congratulated as Prince George was recently awarded the prestigious Gold Canada Award of Excellence Quality Award from the National Quality Institute, based in Toronto. This award is a three-year certification and Prince George has achieved Level 4. Only municipalities that have achieved Level 4 can apply for the Gold Award.

We caught up with Prince George inside workers CUPE 1048 president David Wieler who praised members for their participation and delivery of quality services. Municipal workers gave feedback and suggestions on improvements to services and the City acted on them.

“I’m glad that we’re working together to make a better workplace, explains Wieler. “When our CUPE Local is seen as providing good service for our municipality, I can’t see anything better than that.”

“Going the extra mile and putting in that extra effort to provide good service to the community has been recognized and valued,” adds Wieler. “A high level of citizen satisfaction shows that we care and that we are doing a good job.”

The National Quality Institute (NQI) carefully audits and measures services and city operations against high standards related to excellence in leadership, planning, citizen and client focus, people focus, process management, supplier/partner focus and overall organizational performance.

NQI is the national steward organization for the annual Canada Awards for Excellence. Created in 1992, NQI is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is the leading authority in Canada on workplace excellence based on quality systems and healthy workplace criteria.

CUPE members from Local 399 and 1048 win kudos for their participation, feedback and suggestions on improvements to services, and the high quality of services they provide to Prince George residents.

CUPE 399 members are outside workers who clear snow, maintain and keep the roads safe, and provide other important services like water, park maintenance, and outside city services in Prince George. CUPE 1048 members are inside workers in Prince George. They are the friendly people you see at the front counter, building inspectors, bylaw enforcement, animal control, and the people who do internal administration for the City.

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