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01/02/2000

Human Rights Tribunal to Hear Sex Discrimination Complaints

OTTAWA -- February 1, 2000 -- A human rights tribunal will reconvene in February in Vancouver to hear the complaint filed by a woman who says her employer refused to consider her for a job because of her sex.

Helen Oster of Vancouver filed a sex discrimination complaint against the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union. Ms. Oster alleged that the Union's Local 400 discriminated against her by not referring her to a job as a cook/deckhand, because the vessel where she would have worked did not have separate sleeping accommodations for women. She said that the work consisted of alternate six-hour shifts and this would not have been a problem. The hearing will reconvene February 21 to 25, 28 and 29 at the Tax Court of Canada, Pacific Center, 17th Floor, 700 Georgia Street.

In February, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal will also hold hearings into four other cases:

• In Ottawa, a tribunal will reconvene to hear the discrimination complaint filed by Emilie Marinaki alleging that her employer failed to provide her with a harassment-free work environment. She said she was subjected to sexual and racial comments by her supervisor and her director. Ms. Marinaki further alleged that when she filed an internal complaint she was placed on short-term assignments away from her section. She alleged that after being away on sick leave for several weeks, she was required to return to her former work site, and, as a result, suffered a stress attack and had to leave work. The hearing will reconvene from February 1 to 4 and 21 to 23, at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, 473 Albert Street, 4th Floor; and from February 7 to 11 at the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, 333 Laurier Avenue West, 18th Floor.
• In Vancouver, a human rights tribunal will hear the complaint filed by Synthia Kavanaugh against the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) alleging that its policies regarding the treatment of transgendered people discriminated against her. Ms. Kavanaugh, who is a transsexual, said that the CSC discriminated against her by refusing to place her in a correctional institution for women, by not providing her with medically prescribed female hormones, and by not providing her with necessary medical and surgical treatments. Although Ms. Kavanaugh's individual complaints against the CSC were settled in November 1999, the tribunal will now examine the CSC's policies in this regard. The hearing will reconvene from February 14 to 18, at the Port Coquitlam Court House, 2620 Mary Hill Road.
• In Ottawa, a tribunal will continue hearing the pay equity complaint filed by the Union of Northern Workers, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, against the Government of the Northwest Territories. The Union alleged that the GNWT discriminated against its employees in female job categories by paying them less than employees in male-dominated jobs for work of equal value. The Union also alleged that the employees of predominantly female groups must work longer to reach their maximum salary when compared to the male-dominated occupations. The hearing will reconvene from February 8 to 11 and 14 to 17, at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, 473 Albert Street, 4th Floor.
• Also in Ottawa, a tribunal will hold hearings in the pay equity complaints filed against Bell Canada by the Canadian Telephone Employees' Association (CTEA), the Communications, Energy and Paper workers Union of Canada (CEP), and a Montreal-based employees group, Femmes-Action. These organizations represent more than 20,000 employees throughout Bell Canada's workforce. The complaints alleged that employees in mostly female jobs are underpaid in comparison with employees in predominantly male jobs performing work of equal value. The hearing will reconvene from February 7 to 11 and 21 to 25, at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, 473 Albert Street, 5th Floor.

Hearings start at 9:30 a.m. local time.

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