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19/04/2000

CHRC Refers a Record Number of Complaints to Tribunal

Ottawa - April 19, 2000 - At its April meeting, the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) requested that a human rights tribunal be appointed to look into the complaint of a British Columbia man who says that Canadian Airlines failed to accommodate his disability.

Kelly Burmania of Richmond, British Columbia filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that his employer discriminated against him by failing to provide him with a workplace free of harassment. Mr. Burmania, who suffers from asthma, requires a paint-free work environment. According to him, Canadian Airlines did not accommodate his disability and he had to work in a hangar near paint fumes and toxins. He further alleges that he was subjected to harassment and humiliation from his supervisor.

The Commission has also asked that human rights tribunals be appointed to look into the following complaints:

• Scott Simser of Toronto filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that the Tax Court of Canada discriminated against him by failing to accommodate his disability. Mr. Simser, who is deaf, was employed as an articling student with the Department of Justice. He was required to represent the Department before the Tax Court of Canada, where he needed real-time captioning of the proceedings. He was advised that the Court would not provide the service.
• Henry Vlug filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation discriminated against him and other people who are deaf by failing to provide captioning on its television programs. Mr. Vlug says the CBC has a policy of replacing captioned broadcasts with non-captioned broadcasts. He further claims the CBC failed to continue captioning when it took over the broadcasting of programs that other broadcasters had captioned.
• Joan Weytze of Markham, Ontario filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that her employer, the Bank of Montreal, discriminated against her on the ground of disability. After Ms. Weytze suffered injuries in a car accident, she was put on reduced duties at work. She claims that her manager treated her differently after the accident and that her employment was terminated because of her disability.
• Gerald Wintermeyer of Ottawa, a former public servant, filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that the Treasury Board of Canada discriminated against him on the grounds of sex and disability. He says that he was refused coverage under the Public Service Health Care Plan because the prosthesis he needed to correct his problem was not listed under the plan.
• Bonnie Caldwell of Winnipeg filed complaints with the CHRC alleging that her employer, Arnold Bros. Transport, discriminated against her on the basis of sex by failing to provide her with a harassment-free environment and by terminating her employment. Ms. Caldwell also alleges that her driving partner discriminated against her by making unwanted sexual advances. She claims she lost her job after she refused to continue driving with him.
• Christine Corbeil of North Bay, Ontario filed complaints with the CHRC alleging that her employer, Pro North Transportation, discriminated against her on the ground of sex by failing to provide her with a harassment-free working environment. Soon after she began work at Pro North Transportation in February 1997, an officer of the company began making unwanted sexual advances and crude sexual remarks. In September 1998, on her doctor's advice, she took sick leave due to stress. She has since quit her job.
• Phyllis McAvinn of Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that Strait Crossing Bridge Ltd. discriminated against her because of her sex. In April 1997, Ms. McAvinn applied for a position as a bridge patroller with Strait Crossing Bridge. She says that in spite of the fact she possessed all the qualifications specified for the position, she was not hired because she was a woman. She claims that men who were not as well qualified as she was were given employment, and believes that only men were hired as bridge patrollers.
• Terence Nagel of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom, filed a complaint with the CHRC alleging that Citizenship and Immigration Canada discriminated against him on the grounds of age, family status and marital status by denying him Canadian citizenship. In 1993, Mr. Nagel applied for Canadian citizenship but was advised that he was ineligible because his mother was married to a British citizen at the time of his birth, in 1939. According to the Citizenship Act, only children born outside Canada to Canadian mothers on or after January 1, 1947 are eligible for Canadian citizenship.

The Chairperson of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will appoint tribunals to hear the complaints.

The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal is an independent body responsible for adjudicating complaints referred to it by the Canadian Human Rights Commission. The Commission refers a complaint to the Tribunal when it believes further inquiry into a complaint is warranted.

For more information:

Jocelyne Limoges
Media and External Relations
(613) 943-9119