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Winter/Spring 2002

Pride in Our Union Conference!

Winter/Spring 2002

Upcoming:
Pride in Our Union Conference!
We're gearing up our 2^nd CAW National Pride Conference for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) members and our allies. The conference will take place at our Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario from April 19^th- 21^st, 2002. Local union delegates will participate in a variety of workshops: Confronting Homophobia, Understanding Sexuality; On the Frontlines, LGBT Activism; Public Speaking; Building A Respectful Workplace Environment; and Collective Bargaining LGBT Issues. Check out the next issue of Pride in Print for a full report on the Conference.

CAW Council
At December's CAW Council (our "parliament"), we wanted to have a visible pride presence. Realizing that only a small number of delegates to the Council are out lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans members, we decided to bolster our numbers by selling Pride t-shirts to our allies. And so, if you could go by the number of t-shirts we sold (and arms we twisted!), we were 1 in 10! Kellie Scanlan, Local 222, spoke at the mike about the importance of visibility. She called on all of our allies to wear their shirts with pride, and let members in their locals know that they're supportive of LGBT issues.

Adoption Updates
Good news – the Manitoba government has promised that legislation supporting same-sex adoption will be introduced during the current session of the legislature. A two-person review panel has recommended granting these critical rights to same-sex families. Manitoba will become the eighth province / territory to make provisions for same-sex couples to adopt.

In February the American Academy of Pediatrics announced its support for the rights of gay men and lesbians to adopt their partners' children. "This is really about the needs of children", said Dr. Joseph Hagan. Adoption ensures that the children of lesbian and gay couples have the same rights and protections as children of heterosexual couples.

Hargrove demands action on Hate Crimes Bill
CAW President Buzz Hargrove has joined the LGBT community appeal to have hate propaganda directed against LGBT people included in the Criminal Code definition of hate propaganda. In a letter to (then) Justice. Minister Anne McClelland, Hargrove writes: "As you know, it will continue to be legal to spread hate propaganda against gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in Canada until the federal hate propaganda laws are amended. Hatred and propaganda are what led to Aaron Webster's death, and hatred and propaganda are what lead to the countless other reported and unreported acts of harassment, discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of our society." Hargrove urged the Justice Minister to "make the necessary amendments to the Criminal Code, without further delays, without awaiting further brutality".

A number of CAW Caucuses also wrote to the Justice Minister following the Stanley Park murder – and London Area Caucus member Stephanie Johnstone's letter was published in a Vancouver newspaper! To make your voice heard on this issue, write to the new federal Justice Minister, Martin Cauchon, c/o House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario.

CAW Social Justice Fund supports LGBT Community
The CAW Social Justice Fund has approved a donation to the Lesbian Gay Bi Youth Line, which offers telephone crisis counselling and referral services to teenagers throughout Ontario.

At their March Board Meeting, the Social Justice Fund also voted to sponsor a delegate from a developing country to attend the Workers Out! International Conference for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Trade Unionists. The conference will take place in conjunction with the Gay Games in Sydney, Australia in the fall.

Carol Phillips, Director of the International Department, says "The trade union movement has been a leader on workplace rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in Canada; we can support the fundamental rights of workers in other countries by providing opportunities for workers from the South to organize on LGBT issues."

CAW Local 222 President Mike Shields rejects bigotry shown by Durham Region Catholic School Board
In a press release challenging the Durham Catholic School Board's decision to deny a gay student the right to bring his partner to the prom, Local 222 President Mike Shields says: "In light of the recent, highly-publicized situation at Monsignor John Pereyma Catholic High School here in Oshawa, I feel strongly compelled to speak out on this brave young man's behalf. In challenging other leaders in the community to speak out on this issue, I want to let this country know the separate school board's discriminatory stance is not reflective of this city.

Shields states: "The Canadian Auto Workers has always been an organization that requires we have a policy in every workplace stating people won't be discriminated against, based on race, religion, gender, creed, etc., as well as sexual orientation. We strongly support each individual's right to be who they are without fear of reprisal."

Pride Page on the CAW Website
We are excited to announce the launch of our pride page on the CAW Website. Lynn Brophy of our Communications Department has been working wonders to make sure our new pride pages are packed with information and resources. The site includes legal updates, information about the CAW's history on LGBT issues, collective bargaining checklists and model language, info for allies, what's on when, how to order pride materials, etc. CAW lawyer, Lisa Kelly, has helped put together loads of this information which will be invaluable to union activists and the LGBT community more broadly. Check it out at www.caw.ca , and click on "What we do".

Class Action lawsuit on Pensions
It's only been in the last year that the federal pension legislation was changed to include same-sex partners. Again, this was the result of court challenges led by the Canadian trade union movement. However, survivor pensions are only available to those whose partners died after January 1, 1998 -- not April 17, 1985, the day equality rights were enshrined in the Charter. This means that an estimated 10,000 Canadians are missing out on the survivor's pensions they are entitled to. A class action lawsuit has been filed to seek compensation for these folks. No doubt, some of these people are surviving partners of CAW members. They may have also missed out on their partner's negotiated workplace survivor pensions. In collective bargaining there is the potential to rectify this past discrimination by negotiating the survivor pensions retroactively. How successful we will be remains to be seen, but we do know that our members' pensions should not have died with them, and that employer discrimination means that elderly partners of our members are, in many cases, living in poverty.

Understanding Sexuality, Confronting Homophobia Workshops
CAW Local 222, in cooperation with the Oshawa & Area Pride Caucus recently held two day-long workshops for leadership and activists. The workshops were attended by high profile leadership, as well as by LGBT activists, Human Rights Committee members, and other allies. The workshop will also be delivered in London, Ontario, during April, as part of the Education Department's Area Schools Program. This time the request came from a number of local unions who wanted to get together (also with the encouragement of the London & Area Pride Caucus) to work more actively against homophobia. If you are interested in helping to get this course offered in your area, contact the CAW Education Department, at 1-800-268-5763 for more details.

CAW Collective Bargaining & Political Action Convention
From May 7^th to May 10^th 2002, CAW leadership will get together to set the union's bargaining agenda for the next three years. Delegates will discuss and debate our priorities at the negotiating table as well as our political agenda.

Since our last Bargaining Convention, we've made great legal strides with respect to LGBT issues. Our collective agreements must now, by law, treat same-sex couples the same as opposite-sex common-law couples. Everything from bereavement leave, to family leave, to pensions, to parental leave, to medical and dental benefits, must now be inclusive of same-sex partnerships. Beyond these new legal requirements, we can also seek stronger rights for transgender members in bargaining. These include the right to privacy, to workplaces free from harassment, to medical leave as required, to accommodation post-surgery, to medical coverage. Transgender members are particularly vulnerable in the workplace, and we need to make every effort to ensure that their dignity, safety, and respect are upheld.

CAW LGBT activists and allies can talk with their local union Convention delegates to go over some of the important LGBT issues and ensure that the voices of LGBT members are represented through our delegates. Although elections for Convention delegates have taken place in most local unions, contact your local union President to find out about the process for next time.

Breakthrough at CAW Local 27
On January 24, 2002, CAW Local 27 voted to establish a Local Union Pride Committee. As Local 27 member Dan Hill says: "With the support and forward thinking of this membership and indeed its executive, the [new] committee can continue the struggles and great strides of accomplishment already made by lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender brothers and sisters of our union. We are standing up and being heard across the nation. Our union is noted as a leader in human rights and social causes."

Mailing List
If you would like to be on the mailing list for this newsletter, please contact Diane Negrin in the CAW Human Rights Department (1-800-268-5763). Our mailings go to LGBT members, our allies, and local union Human Rights Committees. The mailing list is kept confidential

Newsletter feedback
We need help putting together this newsletter. If you would like to contribute ideas for future editions of Pride in Print, please send in your suggestions, articles, photographs, poetry, cartoons, legal questions, news bites, reports on events and happenings, etc. to:

Pride in Print
c/o Sue Carter, National Representative
CAW, 205 Placer Court,
Toronto, ON M2H 3H9
Or email us at cawpride@caw.ca
Or call us at 1-800-268-5763

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