Fall 2003
CAW Women's Conference,
"CAW Women Organizing for Change. When Women Support Women Win" was the theme of the 2003 Women's Conference in Port Elgin. Over 200 delegates attended from CAW locals across the country for three days to talk about Women, Power and Politics all with a feminist twist.
The conference was kicked off by Julie White, Director of Women's Programs who urged the delegates to make a concrete commitment to work for change. "We have a great opportunity to make change for women and children of Canada.the future could be different ...women make up 51% of the electorate and if we organize, mobilize and strategize we have the ability to set the future political direction of this country. Imagine communities where women and children are valued and poverty, lack of affordable housing, child care and violence against women are just bad memories along with the politicians who didn't give a damn".
Peggy Nash, Assistant to the President, reminded delegates in her introduction, that the CAW has reached a critical mass -now 30% of CAW members are women, and how that has produced important changes in our union. Women in the CAW are starting to take big steps in terms of creating space for women due to more leadership training for women, special outreach to women in organizing efforts, and more incorporation of issues that women care about in our bargaining agenda.
Keynote speaker Libby Davies, NDP MP, Vancouver East, then inspired delegates in her opening speech, a barnburner, to say the least. Libby reminded us of the historic 2000 World Women's March when 60,000 women showed up on Parliament Hill , with 68 demands for equality and social justice. Yet Parliament was by and large unresponsive because a vast majority of MPs did not see these issues as important - at best the government only responded in a most superficial, token way.
Libby on Women and Politics:
"But I asked myself, if Parliament was so unresponsive; would it have made a difference if there were more women political representatives in the House of Commons? And would the consequences of the March been different? Having a large number of progressive women, government side and opposition would have helped. I believe it would have generated a different response. But I also know that when we talk about making change at the level of reprehensive politics, women supporting women is important, but it is not enough.
...Critical mass must be translated into key policy initiatives and action under the auspices of progressive feminist politics. More women must run as candidates, get elected, and work on campaigns for progressive women.
...We need to think big. Our goal is 30 per cent, that critical mass. I believe that sisterhood is very powerful. Women are phenomenal organizers. We can act in a thousand ways to break down these patriarchal barriers and what it really comes down to is this: Liberating and electing women means that we liberate politics too."
Libby Davies
2003 Women's Conference
Delegates then moved into workshops to explore some of the fundamental principles that need to be part of women's organizing strategies. Women began with their own experiences of personal power, examined women's herstory in Canada and began to explore and define the terms Power and Leadership. They also recognized not all women share equally in our gains and began to analyze what Canada looks like for all women. We examined our struggles, our gains and current issues and the impact that has on preventing women from making change.
The message was clear - in order to achieve change, to create communities that work for us women need to Educate! Organize! Agitate!
The conference included two dynamic plenaries:
"Strategies for Success" included three powerful feminists: Loretta Woodcock CAW Local 2002, Commission of Vancouver Parks and Recreation, Kira Heineck, Acting Director, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care and Olivia Chow, Councillor, City of Toronto. The women shared with delegates the challenges they faced in running for public office, strategies they used in lobbying for change, successes and challenges they faced in fighting for progressive change. Olivia Chow made a special appeal to delegates to return to their communities and get involved, that voices are needed at all levels of government if we are concerned about building better communities for women and children, we can't sit back and expect things to change. We need to leave this conference with the goal of electing more progressive women to public office.
Then delegates were inspired by feminist, journalist and social activist Doris Anderson as she addressed the convention as President of the National Council of Fair Vote Canada.
Delegates heard how Ms Anderson as editor of Chatelaine magazine from 1957-1977 transformed that publication and changed the way key women's issues were explored in print. Chatelaine was one of the few magazines that dealt with problems of working mothers and issues such as pay equity, abortion, racism, divorce laws and violence against women. She challenged Canadians to look at issues affecting women's equality and became a new voice and spokesperson for women in this country, working tirelessly for the advancement of all women. She was determined to give her readers "something to think about, something to shake them up".
In her tradition, Ms Anderson also gave the delegates the same challenge. She introduced the audience to the concept of proportional representation, providing stats on how women are under represented in the House of Commons and in the provincial legislature. She also stressed the need to elect a parliament that is reflective of the people it represents-where women have caught up to men in medical and law schools - we are still lagging far behind in politics. Delegates learned that over 75 democracies have chosen proportional representation systems, including most long-term democracies and most European countries. Doris explained that the systems may take many forms, the central idea is very simple: if a party receives 40 % of the popular vote, the party receives approximately 40% of the seats - not 50% or 60%. Doris explained that the parties' representation reflects their support at the ballot box. A system that according to Doris is not only simple but fair.
"What I wanted more than anything else was to be able to look after myself and make sure that every other woman in the world could do the same".
Doris Anderson
Writer, editor and social activist
Sexist Billboards Dropped
After CAW Campaign
The Terra Footwear Company is dropping a national billboard advertising campaign that features scantily clad women in suggestive poses after the ads prompted an angry response from CAW members and a growing public backlash.
In response to the billboards, Julie White, the CAW's national director of women's programs, had urged union members to stop buying Terra work boots.
"Let's give them a kick with a steel-toed boot where it hurts - in the profits," White wrote in an e-mail to union leadership and activists. She also urged CAW members to contact their MPs because the company had a federal contract to provide boots to the Canadian military.
The CAW asked all its locals to put pressure on the company to drop the ads. Although the company initially refused to take action defending the campaign as a "light hearted" approach to
selling work boots, it recently changed its position and is putting an end to the ads.
White credited the grass roots opposition to the billboards including the quick response from the women at CAW Local 444 in Windsor and Local 444 Women's Committee Chairperson Sandra Dominato for initially driving the campaign to force the company to withdraw the ads.
CAW Family Auxiliary Conference
The theme of this year's conference was Women Organizing for Change". 23 delegates from Auxiliary 27 (Oshawa) and Auxiliary 321 (Brantford) joined together at the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin for their annual conference which was held September 19-23. Julie White opened the conference with an overview of the women's department activities and the challenges facing women in our union and the broader community. We discussed the impact of social spending cuts and how they have disproportionately affected women.
Workshops lead by sisters Deb Tveit and Karen Cobb were challenging as women started with their own stories about exercising their personal power either by themselves or with other women. They looked at women's Herstory and identified milestones for women in Canada and around the world and inspired each other as they took a small glimpse into their own Herstory .
Women of the Family Auxiliaries identified situations when they felt personal power. Here are few examples: challenged authority figure, left a bad marriage, stuck to my principles, raised children on limited income, entered the workforce, developed new skills, challenged dress code is school, stood up for women, gained financial independence against husband's objections, was assertive, could not be intimidated, overcame male dominated structure, challenged the employer, challenged the old boys club, achieved improved wages, working conditions for women, ran for an elected position, changed the workplace, stayed determined, would not be pushed or walked over, did not traditional work, worked two jobs to support my family, was on a women's hockey team in 1942.
The women of the Auxiliary are an inspiration to all women of the CAW.
Take Back the Night March
Take Back the Night, a march to protest violence against women, began in Europe in the early 1970's. Women in United States held their first march in 1977 and a year later, three Canadian cities, Ottawa, Vancouver and Halifax joined in organizing "Reclaim the Night" marches in which women took to the streets to reclaim the right to walk alone at night without the fear of violence.
Since that time women have organized Take Back the Night marches in many communities across this country during the third week of September.
CAW Women march in sisterhood with community partners each year in a symbolic gesture to demand violence-free streets, homes and workplaces with a goal of zero tolerance for violence against women. They march with pride, and in celebration of women's victories of the fights waged to improve women's equality. They march in hope, because of the knowledge that women and women's groups have succeeded in coming together nationally, despite systems which have worked to keep them divided.
Congratulations to Oxford County Take Back the Night Committee as they celebrated their 15th Annual TBTN March with a special project this year to raise the awareness of violence against women.
The week of August 25th began with the flying fingers of friendly females working on a quilt project like no other. Women from CAW Locals 88 and 636, the Women's Employment Resource Centre, the Women's Emergency Centre, the Children's Aid Society and the Mennonite came together to raise awareness about "Violence against Women". The project was the brainchild of the Oxford County Take Back the Night Committee who were planning the 15th annual area Take Back the Night March. Hoping to attract more participants to the march and bring community attention to their cause, they decided to create a special quilt.
Quilts have told the stories of the lives, hopes and dreams of women over the decades. Many quilters use their quilts as political or personal statements. Just as runaway slaves used quilts as a form of sending messages, these women will use this quilt to send the message "Stop the Violence". Each square was created by different women who had their own story to tell. These "Sisters in Solidarity" displayed their quilt at the September 18th Take Back the Night March in Ingersoll. The photos show some of the very nimble-thimble volunteers who are quilting the top layer to the bottom layer. Some of the explanations attached to the individual squares will make you shiver. Here is one example:
Teddy Bear Family
"My sister, Shelley Lynn Kramer, was brutally and violently beaten and stabbed to death by her husband of nearly 8 years. She had just turned 38 years old. He was convicted of 1st degree murder on Dec. 6, 2002 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Shelley was a beautiful person, inside and out. She had a smile that lit up her face and a sparkle in her eye. Shelley had a great sense of humour, and her laugh brightened up any room. Shelley was loving & kind & compassionate. Her caring nature showed in her work with the developmentally delayed. Shelley received great joy from playing with children, whether they were her own nieces & nephews or the children in her neighbourhood. Shelley was never fortunate enough to enjoy children of her own. We have been deprived of a very dear daughter, sister, niece, cousin aunt & friend. Shelley, we love you and miss you deeply. And you will forever live in our hearts. "
CONGRATULATIONS TO:
Anne Davidson, President of CAW Local 2002, NEB member, who was recently appointed Area Director for British Columbia and Alberta.
Sari Sairanen, the newly elected President of CAW 2002, replacing Anne Davidson.
Debbie Cadman, National Representative on her retirement. Deb herstory fighting for women's equality was evident in every job she held with the union from Employment Equity Rep with Northern Telecom, to Organizer with the National Office and finally as a Service Representative working in the London Office. Congratulations Debbie from your Sisters in the Union!
Kim Sedore, Chairperson of the Bombardier Office Unit, Local 673, who was recently appointed National Representative. Kim will be servicing in the London Office.
Locals 240 and 195 for hosting a one-day Women Activist program on November 7, 2003, with 108 women attending. Participants were joined by six local high school students who share a youth perspective on issues facing young women today.
Deb Logan, Jacqui Cardillo and CAW Local 200 Women's Committee for raising $12,761, the largest donation, in the Windsor Breast Cancer Run for the Cure.
CAW Sisters and Brothers across this country for initiating a grassroots campaign to convince the Terra Footwear Company to drop it sexist advertising plastered on 600 billboards across the country. CAW members joined with others to pressure the company to remove the billboards or face a boycott of their product. The victory to withdraw the ads was credited to Local Committee Chairperson Sandra Dominato for initially driving the campaign to force the company to withdraw the ads.
Debbie Roberts, Local 200, who raised $1,500 in the 10th Annual fundraising walk for Hiatus House, a Windsor shelter for women and children.
CAW 'Woman to Woman Campaign' coordinators Tashlyn Chase, Irene Friend, Diane Cunningham and Elaine White for coordinating the successful Woman to Woman campaign to oust the Tories in the Ontario provincial election. Coordinators organized over hundred of workplaces and communities events where women talked about poverty, ending violence against women, child care and affordable housing. 70,000 flyers were distributed across the province urging women to use their power at the ballot box and create a government that works for them.
Newsletter Feedback
We always need help pulling together Sisterline. 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, ON M2H 3H9
or email us at women@caw.ca
or fax us at 416-495-6552
SISTERLINE can also be accessed through the CAW homepage, www.caw.ca/women
