Alumni of Bridges v. CUPE Local 43
"The complaint was filed by alumni of Bridges, a city of Toronto program, members of CUPE Local 79, inside workers, against CUPE Local 43, outside workers, and the city. The complainants are women who prepared themselves for positions traditionally held by men in trades, technical and labouring occupations under a specific, special city of Toronto program, namely, Bridges.
When these qualified women from Local 79 applied for promotion to Local 43 positions, they faced the provisions in the Local 43 collective agreement that required that all Local 43 members, even those with minimal seniority, be considered ahead of any other applicant. Some of these women had as much as 15 years' seniority with the city of Toronto, yet were prevented from promotion to another position with the same employer in the same union, CUPE, by those restrictions." 1110-1120
Barbara Haber
The city of Toronto Committee on the Status of Women
Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Hansard
"Another had to do with CUPE Local 43 against the city of Toronto, where women who were attempting to get into nontraditional jobs were not being successful because of a clause in a collective agreement. The commission attempted to mediate the issue, to resolve it in an informal way, but we were unable to do so, so the commission had to initiate a complaint. At this time, we're still in the process of attempting to conciliate with the local to remove that particular clause which we find to be discriminatory and which is impacting against women. In fact, it's preventing women from accessing certain jobs in the local." -1020
Neil Edwards, Director
Regional Services and Systemic Investigation Unit
Ontario Human Rights Commission
Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Hansard
"... A concern of the Committee on the Status of Women is the omission of a regulation on the issue of corporation seniority, establishing seniority across bargaining units, for promotions.
This issue constitutes a significant barrier for women wishing to compete for non-traditional occupations in organizations where separate bargaining agents represent predominantly male and predominantly female occupations..."
Barbara Haber
CUPE Local 416 Outside Agreement
What was the decision of the Ontario Human Rights Commission?