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Fall 2004

CAW WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
August 22-25, 2004

The conference, 'Women's Health in Women's Hands' brought together 191 delegates from across the country to the CAW Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario August 22-25.

CAW president Buzz Hargrove addressed delegates outlining the many tough challenges the union has faced over the past year and recognized the key role women have played in bargaining at Air Canada, Casino Windsor and Blue Heron Casino. Hargrove stressed how governments play a key role in women's health indicating the need for women to use their political voice and praised the CAW Woman to Woman Campaign in the last federal election for putting women's issues on the political agenda.

A video called 365 Days of Activism, Feminism and Solidarity was shown that looks back on the work of CAW women across the country since the last conference.

Women took part in workshops that included a variety of topics examining women's health and the history of women's health. Women examined how lack of social support networks, income, gender and other key determinants affect the health of women in Canada and globally. Delegates also developed strategies and skills in organizing, bargaining and collective action, to help put women's health issues on the bargaining table and on the political agenda.

CAW International director Carol Phillips outlined the current projects of the Social Justice Fund in Mozambique, Nicaragua and Brazil, initiatives that are making concrete changes for women around the world.

Peggy Nash, assistant to the CAW president, told delegates that governments play a key role in the health of women and stressed the need to continue the work started in the Woman to Woman Campaign during the last federal election on issues such as child care, poverty and violence against women. 'Governments must be held accountable not only during an election campaign, but also between elections. The election of a minority government gives us a real opportunity to make concrete changes for women across this country'.

Julie White, CAW director of women's programs, said the major barrier women face in attaining good health is inequality. "We must continue to pressure governments to develop good social policy and follow through on election promises made during the last federal election-promises like a national child care program for Canadian families," White said.

CAW women left the conference charged and ready to connect with other women in the union and their community. In one sister's words..."I gained more knowledge on issues relating to my personal health but more importantly I learned how critical it is to fight for women's health politically. I am now well equipped and reenergized to join with my sisters on the broader issues fighting for women's equality."

OCTOBER - Women's History Month
October 18th, 2004
75th Anniversary of 'Persons' Case

Members of UAW Local 222 Women's Committee from left to right - Front row: May Partridge, Bev McCloskey, Helen MacInally. Back row: Maurie Shorten, Pat Creighton, Fay Bender. (Betty Murray is missing from the picture)

Women's History Month represents an opportunity to highlight the past and present contributions of women in our union and in society, women whose achievements have been often overlooked in standard history books. Every October since 1992, Canada celebrates Women's History Month, with the highlight being 'Persons' Day, on October 18. The month of October has been selected as Women's History Month because of the historical significance of the 'Persons Case' decisions of 1929, which represents a landmark victory in the struggle of Canadian women for equality.

What is 'Persons' Case? - Although most Canadian women could vote in many provinces and federal elections, women were not eligible for appointment to the Senate of Canada. In 1927, Emily Murphy and four other prominent Alberta women-Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, Louise McKinney and Henrietta Muir-Edwards petitioned the Supreme Court of Canada for an interpretation of the law on the matter of appointments of women to the Senate of Canada. Nicknamed the "Famous Five" they took their fight for women's equality to Canada's highest court of appeal which eventually declared Canadian women to be qualified for appointment to the Senate. This historical decision gave women access to sectors of society previously reserved only for men. To learn more about the Famous Five go to: http://collections.ic.gc.ca/famous5/Profiles/murphy.html

As the contributions from the Famous Five reshaped the lives for many Canadian women, a small group of active and outspoken union women from UAW Local 222 in Oshawa also were doing the same.

These women fought against the injustice of separate seniority lists for men and women which at that time prevented women from transferring to a 'man's" job. When the "women's" trim line at General Motors was moved from Oshawa to Windsor in the mid 60's, women were laid off unless they were willing to relocate, event while men were being hired for other jobs. The women's committee took their fight with the company to the union and ultimately they allied with the broader women's to push their demands. In December 1970, the provincial government enacted legislation that made it illegal to discriminate in employment on the basis of sex or marital status, a historical change that impacted women across the province and eventually the country, then and for the future- a victory that should be celebrated.

On October 18 as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the 'Persons Case', take the time to applaud union women like the women from Local 222 Women's Committee who raise your sprit, renew your faith, challenge things that need to be challenged and yes....... RRRock the Boat!

DECEMBER 6th, National Day of Commemoration to End Violence against women

On December 6th every year, Canadians remember the fourteen young women who were violently murdered at l'Ecole Polytechique in Montreal in 1989. This year marks the 15th Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre.

To commemorate the anniversary, the CAW is partnering with the Canadian Labour Congress on a national campaign to raise the issue of Violence against Women entitled 15 Days-15 Ways to end Violence against Women. Beginning on November 22, a new demand will be released for each day until December 6th calling on the government to implement concrete initiatives moving towards social and economic equality for women, a fundamental requirement to end violence against women.

For more information on the CAW December 6th campaign, visit our website at www.caw.ca/women

STATUS OF WOMEN IN THE CAW

Recently at CAW Joint Council held in Montreal, the Women's Department gave a report to delegates on the status of women in the CAW. The goal of the report was to begin to measure the progress of women in the union in a number of areas including bargaining, organizing, education, staffing and also within the internal structures of the union.

The CAW has long been at the forefront of the labour movement ensuring that our programs, policies and bargaining demands include a gender and equity component, actions that demonstrate our longstanding and a very public commitment to equality.

Our 2003 Affirmative Action Document "Building the Union through Diversity, Equality and Solidarity" built on the progressive policies from the 1991 Affirmative Action policy -"Solidarity in Diversity". This policy resulted in many positive measures for women, workers of colour, lesbian, gay, bi sexual and trans-gendered (LGBT) members in our union, measures that have been improved upon in our new document.

This is the first report measuring the status of women in the union. It is a work in progress but it will give us a starting point to measure our growth in years to come, providing us with a written history of our progress on gender and equity issues to ensure that our union continues to build on those gains started back in 1991.

The information below is a summary of that report and is meant to be a representative sample gathered from the State of the Union data bank in August of 2004.

2003 CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
"BUILDING OUR UNION THROUGH DIVERSITY, EQUALITY AND SOLIDARITY"

REMEMBERING OUR HERSTORY

• 1980's 14% women
• in 1991 20% women
• in 2002 27% women
• in 2003 30% women

RECORDING OUR HERSTORY

• Education
• Organizing
• Staffing
• National Executive Board, CAW and Quebec Council Executive Board & Committees
• Our Bargaining Agenda
• Locals Executive Board and Bargaining Committees
• This report will begin to record the Status of Women in the Union
• Work in progress to give us a starting point to measure our progress in the years to come.

STATE OF THE UNION - August 2004

• Possible of 1943 Collective Agreements
• State of the Union has data on 1065
• Possible 264,263 members
• State of the Union has data on 206,786
• Today, women represent 32.4% of the membership.

BARGAINING AGENDA

RECORDING OUR BARGAINING AGENDA

• Harassment policy, procedure and training
• Language on violence against women
• Women's advocates
• Employment equity; pay equity
• Gender neutral language
• Child care and elder care
• Emergency leave

GOALS FOR THE FUTURE
Continue to monitor our progress on the status of women in the union in the following areas:

• Education
• Staffing
• Local Union Executives and committees, Council Delegates, Bargaining Committees
• Bargaining Agenda
• Organizing
• National Council and NEB
• Bargaining Committees
• Council Committees

CAW FAMILY AUXILIARY CONFERENCE

24 delegates from Auxiliary 27 (Oshawa) and Auxiliary 321 (Brantford) joined together at the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin for their annual conference September 26-29.

The conference covered a wide array of topics on women health including a historical timeline identifying 75 Years of Women's Health. Delegates discussed the effects of globalization and privatization and how the lack of public services including less access to public housing, clean water and health care affect women's health disproportionately on a national and global perspective. The three-day conference concluded with women more committed than ever to return to their communities and continue the important work of the Auxiliaries. In one Sister's word."Look after yourself, know your rights and don't be afraid to be a little bossy." Delegate Family Auxiliary; Age 74.

PROTESTING CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

The T-shirt displayed in a store window at Cherry Bomb Apparel in St.Catharines, Ontario depicted a hammer lying in a pool of blood with the slogan "she was asking for it". The severity of the message prompted protests from across a community that rippled throughout Ontario. Activists gathered outside the store demanding that the offensive shirt be removed from the window. Bargaining Unit members at First Ontario Credit Union of Local 199 called voicing their concerns.

The success of this protest was not only the removal of the offensive t-shirt in less than a week but the tangible victory experienced by all women who participated. Women were empowered by the fact that their protests really did make a difference and aided in creating an impact that even prompted the attention of Queen's Park. Together we can and did make a difference!

Elizabeth Ferretti, Chairperson, CAW Local 199

2005 DATES

Women's Conference: August 21-24

Women's Activist and Women in Leadership
Spring: April 17- 22
Summer: August 14-19
Fall: September 25-30

For more information please contact Julie White at the national office at 1 800 268 5763, ext 550.

PROTESTING CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Sister Nancy Riche is still at it!!!!! Nancy Riche crashed a federal-provincial meeting of Ministers Responsible for the Status of Women in St.John's recently to complain about the erosion of social programs and policies promoting equality. Sister Riche slipped past security guards while representatives from women's groups across the country sang outside the meeting. The groups said they wanted the creation of a full federal ministry responsible for status of women, rather than just add-on portfolio.

They actually met soon after with federal minister Liza Frulla and admitted that crashing the meeting was just a publicity stunt to drive home the message that women's issues are not going away.

Sister Peggy Nash

CAW's Peggy Nash (right) with Toronto Councillor Paula Fletcher was recognized by the City of Toronto on the 75th anniversary of Persons Day for making a significant contribution to women's equality. 75 women were honoured by the city at an event at the University of Toronto. Among those named, in addition to Nash, were author Michele Landsberg, broadcaster Judy Rebick, and author Joy Kogawa.

Marilyn Churley, Toronto-Danforth (NDP): for introducing in the Ontario Legislature on Oct 14 a bill to Amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act to Protect Workers from Harassment in the Workplace.

This bill reflects recommendations from the inquest into the murder of Theresa Benson in 1998, a retail employee who was harassed and murdered by her manager. The inquest called for amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act to require employers:

• to protect workers from harassment in the workplace;
• to give workers the right to refuse to work in certain circumstances after harassment has occurred;
• to require an investigation of allegations of work-related harassment;
• and to require employers to take steps to prevent further occurrences of workplace-related harassment.

2004 UPDATE: UNION MEMBERSHIP IN CANADA

Each year on Labour Day, Statistics Canada publishes a "Fact Sheet on Unionization". For the first half of 2004, Statistics Canada found that:

• Union membership grew to 4.1 million workers.
• "unionization rate" remained steady at 30.5%.
• Women's unionization rate increased to 30.6%.
• 30.5% of manufacturing workers were unionized (up a bit from 2003) and 30.4% of service workers were.
• Unionization is highest in Newfoundland/ Labrador and Quebec - and lowest in Alberta.
• Full-time unionization is steady at 1 in 3 (32% of all full-time workers).
• Part-time unionization is steady at 1 in 4 (23.6% of all part-time workers).

The "Union Advantage": Just the Facts
Statistics Canada "Fact Sheet on Unionization" for Labour Day, 2004 looked at the wages and hours for union and non?union workers in 2003, compared with the previous year.

• Unionized workers continue to get average hourly earnings that are much higher in both full time and part time work.
• Unionized part-time workers typically have access to more scheduled hours than non-unionized part-timers. As a result, unionized part-time workers have average weekly earnings nearly double those of non-union part-timers.

Women and Unions

The 2004 Statistics Canada Special Study: "The Union Movement in Transition" looks at trends between 1977 and 2003.

• In 2003 unionized women in full time jobs averaged pay that was 92% of what their full-time male counterparts were paid.
• For non-unionized women, the wage gap was much bigger. They earned only 80% of their full -time male counterparts' wages.
• Only 10% of employed women were unionized in1977; today it's almost 31%.

Statistics Canada calls the changing mix of men and women the "biggest and most profound transformation in union membership" in the last quarter century. What's the explanation? In Statistics Canada's view, the reasons are many and often related, including women's growing participation in the:

• paid work force
• highly unionized public sector
• highly-unionized traditionally male workplaces and jobs as well as the union movement's increased interest in organizing in:
  • part-time, non-permanent jobs
  • less-unionized, traditionally female workplaces and jobs, especially in the service sector.

Statistics Canada "Labour Force Survey" averages (2003)

Newsletter Feedback...If you would like to contribute ideas for future editions, please send your suggestions, articles, photographs, poetry, cartoons, questions, news bites, reports on events and happenings, etc. to: SISTERLINE, c/o Julie White, Director Women=s Programs, CAW-Canada, 205 Placer Court, Toronto, M2H 3H9, or email us at women@caw.ca, or fax us at 416-495-6552.

Visit CAW homepage www.caw.ca/women.