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Fall 2002

Fall 2002

Pride parade updates

Toronto The CAW presence in the Toronto pride parade grew again this year. We marched as part of a contingent of about 20 other social action groups, united against war, capitalism, globalization, under the banner "People Not Profits". We joined with a strong Queer Muslim group, South Asian AIDS activist groups, Council of Canadians, Amnesty International, Chinese Lesbians of Toronto, and the Canadian Federation of Students . We marched alongside our (fabulous) float, handing out whistles, 'CAW: Know Your Workplace Rights' pamphlets, and CAW pride magnets and balloons. CAW members from London, Oshawa, Halton, Windsor, and Winnipeg and Vancouver attended the Toronto pride parade. Many thanks to Locals 199, 222, 1285 and 707 for all your contributions!

A quote in Fab magazine credits the presence of teenagers, kids and the CAW with maintaining the politics of pride. Throughout the parade marchers carried signs demanding police justice, de-crying political & sex censorship, demanding better access to HIV/AIDS services, supporting CUPE strikers, demanding workers rights, and supporting medicare.

Windsor (submitted by the CAW Windsor Area LGBT Caucus):

Summer time is when a lot of us enjoy showing Pride in who we are.

Windsor Pride was held the week of July 22nd to July 28th and it was also the 10th year anniversary. The CAW Windsor Area LGBT Caucus contributed in the celebration by hosting a well attended Hawaiian Night - Pig Roast. There was music, games, leis and a hardy meal included. We were honoured by many guests (Marc Hall and his parents; Kevin Bourassa and Joe Varnell from Equal Marriage; Barb McDowall and Gail Donnelly from the same-sex marriage hearings; and local area residents Hedy Halpen and her spouse Colleen Rogers from Free2Marry).

Colette Hooson, President of CAW Local 240 gave an eloquent and informative speech addressing the subject of same-sex marriage and also touching on the courage of Marc Hall.

Our event was a great success thanks to the people who attended making it a fun way to celebrate Windsor Pride. We would also like to thank Windsor area CAW Locals who contributed door prizes and funds, which enabled us to host this event.

Windsor Pride Parade was the next day and caucus members marched proudly along side Fall 2002 community members and people who also came from out of town to join in. Windsor Pride is growing with each passing year due to participation from the community and also because of the dedication and commitment of members of Windsor Pride Committee.

Vancouver (submitted by the Western Region Pride Caucus):

This year's Vancouver Pride Parade was held on August 4th. Even though it rained on our parade, it didn't dampen the spirits of participants. As in past years, CAW members celebrated Pride by joining other labour activists under the umbrella group Multi Union Pride Committee. Our theme this year was 'Maintaining Pride In Unions'.

The issue of same-sex marriage captured a huge amount of media attention over the weekend, with parade organizers challenging federal politicians on the issue. The actual litigants for same-sex marriage chose to march in the parade along side CAW and other union supporters.

Information on the CAW and our position on Human Rights issues were distributed at labour's festival booth. It was great to hear so many people say "hey, that's my union". Our caucus is exploring how to reach out to more of our CAW brothers and sisters next year.

CAW Pride caucus members have also been active in lobbying their locals to put forward GLBT resolutions for the upcoming B.C. Federation of Labour convention in November. We also look forward to hosting a one-day CAW workshop on homophobia in March.

CAW Member participates in
The Friends for Life Bike Rally

Over four years ago, two friends decided that not enough was being done in the fight against AIDS, and so they issued a challenge to their neighbours and the community at large. What started as a commitment from 32 of their neighbours, friends and family has grown into the Friends For Life Bike Rally - a 6 day, 660 km bike ride from Toronto to Montreal - all in support of the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation.

CAW National Coordinator Dean Lindsay, an avid cyclist, participated for the second time this year. He didn't know what to expect when he first joined up, but after completing in his first ride he committed to make this an annual event. "I found out about the ride in 2000 when I watched the riders in their matching jerseys go by my home. I asked one of the riders what they were doing and he said it was for AIDS awareness. I immediately thought next year I'm going to do that".

This year's event was the largest ever: it began in Toronto on July 28 and ended in Montreal on August 2, in time to join the Diverse-Cité parade.

Over 200 riders and 50 crew members raised just under $400,000 in pledges and sponsorships to benefit the many programs and services offered by the People with AIDS Foundation. Many thanks to CAW Local 222 for their contributions (including water bottles!) and to all others who supported the riders -- including CAW members at Mackie Automotive, who participated in a raffle for a company-donated day-off with pay, which raised an additional $1000.00 for the People with AIDS Foundation.

News from the Workers Out Conference

The Workers Out International LGBT Trade Union Conference has just wrapped up in Sydney, Australia. Trade unionists from around the world gathered to discuss strategies, actions and analysis in the fight against homophobia and transphobia in our workplaces, unions and society. A strong Canadian contingent attended the conference, including CAW delegates Lynn Brophy (Communications Department) and Deb Wilson (Local 444).

The conference was opened by Sharon Burrow, the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. She spoke about the responsibility of unions to be inclusive, to clearly and publicly state issues raised by LGBT members, to have a solid human rights base, and to be involved in the struggle with HIV/AIDS (in some unions around the world, 40% of members are HIV+).

Nancy Wohlforth, leader of Pride at Work, an American Federation of Labour constituency group, emphasized that LGBT activists should see ourselves as part of the broader social justice community, fighting racism sexism, international capital (and now war), alongside fighting homophobia and heterosexism.

The next Workers Out International Trade Union Conference will take place in Montreal in 2006. Preparations will soon be underway!

OTHER WORLD NEWS

Phillippines: CAW Local 111 member Mable Elmore recently participated in an in international trade union conference in the Philippines, along with more than 100 delegates from twelve different countries (Australia, Belgium, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Taiwan, USA and the Philippines). The major theme of the conference was the impact on workers of deregulation, privatization and trade liberalization. "The biggest lesson I came away with was that no matter which country or sector / industry, as workers, we have common issues, common struggles and common goals for a better life for ourselves, our families and our communities. The overall lesson is to get organized and strengthen our union. We need to be united." In addition to the conference plan of action, a resolution put forward by Sister Elmore and others "To Support Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT) Workers", was adopted.

Sweden has undertaken a unique project on the situation for LGBTs in the military, the police, and the church of Sweden. The Swedes are engaged in a huge ($3.8 million) public awareness and education project to affect change through major institutions.

South Africa: COSATU, (Congress of South African Trade Unions), which represents about 2 million members, has embarked on a major project to fight the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is affecting the majority of workers in South Africa, and some 40 million people worldwide. The four key aspects of the Treatment Action Campaign are: solidarity, education, prevention and treatment.

Sub-Saharan Africa: The CAW has become increasingly concerned about the impact of HIV/AIDS on the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa. Not only is each death an individual tragedy, but the spread of the disease has now cut across communities, households, and workplaces. AIDS is now the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 49 in Malawi, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is more than a public health issue; it is also a fundamental issue of development for millions of people in Africa.

The CAW Social Justice Fund has committed $750,000 to support a new project, "Reducing the Burden of HIV/AIDS in the Rural Workplace: A Community Response, Action and Strategy Program". We have obtained matching funding from the Canadian government, bringing the total budget to $1.5 million. The project will be administered by the Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, in Malawi.

NEW VIDEOS:

Stand Together This brand new two-hour video documents the history of the lesbian and gay rights movement in Ontario from 1967 to 1987.

"STAND TOGETHER is the most daring, honest and innovative documentary ever produced on the struggle for gay and lesbian rights in Ontario. The women and men featured in this video offer a fresh, humourous and uncompromising account of their lives during 20 very turbulent years. By integrating these very personal accounts with rarely seen historical footage, Nancy Nicol has created a document of inspiration and hope for political struggle everywhere." -Janis Lundman, CBC producer.

To purchase or rent contact: V-Tape; 401 Richmond St. West, Suite # 452, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5V 3A8 Phone (416) 351-1317; Fax (416) 351-1509; www.vtape.org

Prom Fight: The Marc Hall Story This brand new video about Marc Hall's battle to bring his boyfriend to his high school prom premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It will air on the Life Channel January 5th (9:00 pm).

NWT first in Canada to explicitly prohibit gender identity discrimination

On October 31, 2002, the Northwest Territories legislature adopted Bill 1, the NWT Human Rights Act. The legislation creates a Human Rights Commission; prohibits discrimination on a number of grounds, including sexual orientation, and makes the NWT the first jurisdiction in Canada to prohibit discrimination on the grounds of gender identity, which provides transgendered people with explicit protection from discrimination.

Cases in British Columbia, Quebec and federally have established that the prohibition against discrimination based on sex covers discrimination against transgender individuals. In Ontario, the Human Rights Commission has released a policy paper agreeing with this interpretation.

With the adoption of Bill 1 in NWT, discrimination against lesbians, gays and bisexuals is now prohibited in every province and territory of Canada, except Nunavut, which is also considering enacting human rights legislation.

Out To Work sponsorship

The CAW is supporting the second printing of Out to Work, a booklet for young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers outlining their rights on the job. The booklet was produced by Supporting Our Youth (SOY) and is available by calling 416-924-2100 ext.264 or by e-mail at soy@soytoronto.org.

Upcoming CAW Council

The next CAW Council takes place December 6th - December 8th at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto.

Although elections for this year's Council delegates have taken place, contact your local union President to find out about the process for next time. As well, be sure to discuss important LGBT issues with your elected delegates prior to Council. All are welcome to come and observe CAW Council – it's a great opportunity to learn more about the union. An LGBT Caucus will be held during Council.

CAW Supports YouthQuest!

Youthquest! is Canada's largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. They run 12 drop-in sites in British Columbia (3500 visits a year) work with educators, service providers, and run a toll-free line (1-866-NOT-ALONE) to provide information and referrals for the over fifty youth in suburban and rural BC who call each week.

The CAW recently made a donation to YouthQuest! in honour of Local 4275 President Bernie McBride, who died this past spring. Initially a shop steward at local 4275 Hotel Vancouver, Bernie was later elected as a trustee, then Vice-President and finally President of his local, serving on the Bargaining Committee in 1998, 2000, 2002. Activists from British Columbia were eager to pay tribute to Bernie's personal determination to increase services for LGBT youth. Bernie is sadly missed by his co-workers, who relied on his sense of humour, and his deep commitment to represent workers.

Additional donations to Youthquest! can be forwarded to: Youthquest! c/o Douglas Student Union, P.O. Box 2503, New Westminster, BC V3L 5B2.

Gay rights pioneer dies at 90

Over sixty years ago Harry Hay founded one of the first North American gay organizations, the Mattachine Society. "Mr. Hay's contribution was to do what no one else had done before: plant the idea among American homosexuals that they formed an oppressed cultural minority of their own, like Blacks, and to create a lasting organization in which homosexuals could come together to socialize and to pursue what was, at the beginning, the very radical concept of homosexual rights. . . "

A labour organizer and a communist, it is ironic that Harry Hay was forced to leave the communist party because of his homosexuality, and was forced out of the Mattachines because of his ties to communism. However, Hay continued to be a fixture of West Coast progressive politics, working with the anti-draft and anti-war campaigns; the Women's Strike for Peace during the Vietnam War; and the Committee for Traditional Indian Land and Life. In 1951, Hay published "The Homosexual in America," (under the pseudonym Donald Webster Cory), the first personal nonfiction account of homosexual life in the U.S.. Harry Hay died October 25, 2002, at the age of 90. Just weeks before his death Harry and his partner of 40 years, John Burnside, registered as domestic partners in the state of California.

School Board Held Liable for Homophobic Bullying

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal has ruled that a student was discriminated against by school administrators when they failed to stop repeated homophobic taunts and physical attacks by his peers. It is the first Canadian human rights ruling that specifically holds schools accountable for responding to and preventing homophobic harassment by students.

Even though the complainant does not identify himself as homosexual, the Tribunal found that he is entitled to the protection of the Human Rights Code on the basis of perceived sexual orientation because of the nature of the taunts.

The Tribunal also ruled that the school board has an obligation to provide students with an educational environment that is free from discrimination. The Tribunal found that while the school administration did discipline the individual offenders, the school board was not effective in reducing the harassment. She said the school board did nothing to address the issue of homophobia or homophobic harassment with students generally.

The tribunal awarded the student $4,000 to compensate for the injury to dignity he endured through his last three years as a student at the school.

Bulletin Board Grievance

CAW Local 114 has won an arbitration on posting the Working With Pride Conference call letter on the union bulletin-board at the employer's premises. The employer, Halkin Tool Ltd., had prevented the posting of the notice, on the grounds that it contravened Article 3.08, in particular the requirement that "posted notices shall not be of a partisan political nature . . .".

The arbitrator rejected the employer's position that the notice was of a partisan political nature and agreed with the union's interpretation of "partisan political nature". They went on to highlight a variety of non-partisan activities led by other "single issue special interest groups: pro-choice activists; equality for women activists; rape relief activists, the suffragettes, the civil rights movement. . . All these single issue special interest groups have used (and many of them continue to use) the political process to advance their cause. Some engage in intensive political lobbying, and other political initiatives. They tend also to make use of publicity of all kinds, rallies, and special events, to promote their cause, and use many other means towards to achieving their goals."

The union's grievance was upheld and the arbitrator obliged the employer to post the notice.

Same-Sex Marriage - Headed for the Supreme Court or Political Solution?

On November 8, 2002, the federal Minister of Justice delivered a discussion paper on marriage and the legal recognition of same-sex unions. The Minister will be asking the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights to study the issue and provide him with recommendations on possible legislative reform.

There have been Court challenges in three provinces (B.C., Ontario and Quebec) to the limit on marriage to opposite sex couples. In two of those cases, Quebec and Ontario, the Court ruled that this is discrimination and cannot be justified by the government. The Courts declared the definition of marriage unconstitutional, but suspended its decision for a period of time to allow the government time to change the law. In B.C., the Court found that the exclusion of gays and lesbians was discriminatory but was justified under the Charter.

The plaintiffs appealed the B.C. decision and the Ontario and Quebec decisions have been appealed by the federal government.

The discussion paper sets out a number of possible approaches, including:

• maintaining marriage as an opposite-sex institution, possibly by passing a new statute that would also create a deemed equivalent to marriage for federal purposes for other conjugal relationships;
• changing marriage to also include same-sex couples; or
• with the cooperation of the provinces and territories, leaving marriage solely to the religions.

The Justice and Human Rights Committee will determine in the next few weeks the process it intends to follow. Members of the public who want to participate in the discussion can write directly to their Member of Parliament or Senator or send their views to the Minister of Justice, 284 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0H8 or by e-mail at marriage@justice.gc.ca.

For a discussion of the impact of these decisions see www.egale.ca.

CAUCUS CORNER

CAW OSHAWA & AREA Caucus
We're looking for sisters and brothers of our union in the Oshawa, Peterborough and Toronto East area to work with us to challenge homophobia in our workplaces, communities and governments. For those who are willing to help in the battle for change please leave a message for the LGBT Caucus at Local 222, (905)723-1187 ext. 226 or e-mail: lgbtoshawa@hotmail.com

WESTERN REGION PRIDE CAUCUS
Our Caucus meets monthly. We include members from the airlines, telecommunications, service, hotel, and public transit, to name a few. We're proud to be part of the CAW's coalition working on Human Rights. You can contact us by leaving a message at the CAW Regional Office in Vancouver at 1-800-665-3553 or by e-mail: cawpridebc@hotmail.com.

CAW LONDON AND AREA WORKING WITH PRIDE CAUCUS (LGBT)
Meetings are held the second Sunday of each month. Please contact: CAW London Office (519) 433-7211 ext. 227 (Deb Cadman's office) or by e-mail cawpride@yahoo.ca

CAW WINDSOR & AREA LGBT Caucus
The CAW Windsor Area LGBT Caucus consists of over a dozen dynamic activists who bring energy, humour and ideas to meetings that are never boring. Together the caucus supports LGBT issues and is active in not only Windsor's Pride but in other Prides as well. Caucus meetings are held every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 8:00pm at the CAW Regional Office, 2345 Central Ave. We encourage any CAW LGBT members to attend. CAW Regional Office – 519-944-5866 (Marg Clare's office) or e-mail – lgbtcawwindsor@yahoo.ca Web site – www.geocities.com/caw_lgbt_caucus

GOLDEN HORSESHOE REGIONAL LGBT CAUCUS
Greetings! We founded our caucus following the 1st CAW Working with Pride Conference. Strong dedication and backbone has proven to be our signature mark. Contact us at LGBT@Gay.com, or by calling (905) 845-2511 ext

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