Put women's rights
PUBLISHED BY ORGANIZED WORKING WOMEN on the
VOLUME SEVEN, NUMBER FOUR ~@ NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1984 agenda
YUSA wins tech change clauses By SIIlRLEY ITfAS members felt that the administra The nature of the workplace is tion considered them to be 'just a changing. With the introduction group of women'. This became an of microcomputers into clerical issue of respect. and secretarial positions there is Unfortunately it seems that concern with the de-skilling of relations between management positions and the loss ofjob satis and labour are adversarial in na faction. There are also concerns ture rather than striving for a related to health and safety such spirit of co-operation that could as provisions for proper furnish be of mutual benefit. ings, proper lighting and the con cern for the health of a pregnant For the members of YUSA it is employee required to operate a perceived that the fight is just be video display terminal. ginning, we have just taken the The York University Staff first step. The experience of the Association is a union represent library workers in Metro Toronto photo - M Ph 1l hps ing approximately l, 000 serves to remind us that those P2C2 just the beginning employees primarily employed in clauses fought for we may have to secretarial, clerical and technical fight to preserve. Many of the About 8,500 people marched through down- after the Toronto march, labour council presi positions. Approximately 85 per positions in our bargaining unit town Toronto Oct. 20 to mark United Nations dent Wally Majesky said the petition campaign are those considered to be 'fe cent of our members are women. Disarmament week and the wrap-up of the "was not the end, but the beginning of the male' positions, jobs that the new Peace Petition Caravan Campaign. Five struggle for what we believe in". Referring to During negotiations this year technology is altering. Now more hundred city canvassers gathered 50,000 sig- the labour movement's. support for the peace the Bargaining Committee con than ever a united front is needed natures on the petition calling for a ban on effort, he said Jabour "will be here, as long as cerned itself primarily with tech to e_asure fairness in the work cruise mlssne testing, making Canada a the fight Js here". Anne Adelson of the Toronto nological change ' and m-related place. nuclear weapons-free zone and diverting Disarmament Network, a coalition of 70 or areas such as training for em armaments spending to social needs. Toron- ganizations which co-ordinated the work of ployees and better layoff pro Shirley lttas, Chairperson, to's signatures joined the 430,000 others col- P2C2 in the city, said the peace movement was visions when jobs are declared Bargaining Committee, York Uni lected across the country which were pre- "immeasurably stronger" coming out of the redundant. The introduction of versity Staff Association. sented to the government in a ceremony on campaign, "we must go on now to organize, microcomputers into the work Parliament Hill the following Monday. At a rally educate, agitate." place prompted our concern for the impact of technology on the employee. The union wanted, and won, information on the proposed Health and safety protection needed introduction of new technology prior to its being implemented. It By CATID CARR moment, the International Coun work with when trying to pinpoint He emphasized that workers also won training for employees "There is no safe limit of expo cil on Radiation Protection - the cause of their illnesses, it is must negotiate better than con affected by technological change sure to ionizing radiation and it is ICRP, a self appointed and self unlikely that these questions will sensus health and safety stan to equip the individual to use the unlikely that one will be found." perpetuating group of "experts" be raised in a standard medical dards as they have done with new equipment or provide the This was one of the key points with a strong connection to the history. minimum labour standards. training to enable the employee to stressed on Radiation Eclucation nuclear industry, has set stan Murray also stated that work Linda Jolley, an occupational qualify for positions at a similar Day which was only one part of dards which are viewed as being ers must gain control over health health and safety consultant, and salary level to the one currently four day conference held in Win too high by a factor of at least ten and safety education in order to Colin Lambert, Canadian Union held. nipeg from October 9-12 entitled, percent. fight the propaganda that we see of Public Employees, Health and Our old collective agreement ''The Prevention of Occupational Trade unions, he stated, must in the media everyday. This Safety Representative, carried on provided for a committee to dis Disease". take a position internationally propaganda perpetuates the myth the theme of legislation and stan cuss the concept of equal pay for Eminent speakers from the which will juxtapose and oppose of the careless worker instead of dard setting in their workshop. scientific community, labour, and that of the ICRP. "Our objective work of equal value. We had insisting that workplaces should After a revealing discussion hoped this year to have included a government (in the form of the must be to err on the side of cau be cleaned up, and promoting Atomic Energy Control Board of tion - we must build dose limits which raised the frustration of en clause requiring the committee's employers' responsibility to pro forcing standards, both federally recommendations to be imple Canada-AECB) participated in a into our collective agreements, vide healthy and safe workplaces. panel discussion on this very and we must be prepared to ac and in the provinces, this work mented. This, unfortunately, we Dr. Karen Messing, a geneticist shop formulated a resolution urg were unable to win. "controversial" subject - radia cept a low level of proof. It is a tion. question of expenditure of money from the University of Quebec, ing the Canadian Labour Con Until the final stages of media David Gee, a trade unionist vs. dead workers". and Gary Cwitco, Health and gress to press the government to ti_on, during the strike, the from Great Britain spoke about Gee stated that labour's de Safety Representative with the enact legislation to provide for the administration was still trying to the long and bitter history of mands concerning radiation are Communications Workers of development of national health have the Committee's mandate occupational disease where ac not utopian, most can be met in Canada presented a very and safety standards by a joint changed to address equal pay for tion is usually only taken after it is ninety percent of exposure areas. thought-provoking and all-en labour-management commission. compassing workshop on repro equal work, not at all the same too late for many workers, "wait Dr. Linda Murray spoke to the It is the hope of the many work issue. ing for human evidence of occu conference about what "we" can ductive hazards. ers who attended the conference Why then was it necessary to pational disease means many do about occupational disease. They stressed that reproduc from all across Canada that the go on strike? I suspect it was a damaged and dead workers". Murray is the director of the Man tive hazards affect men as well as CLC will spearhead the drive for matter of attitude. It seems that He spoke of occupational dis itoba Federation of Labour's women, and should, therefore, healthy and safe workplaces, and management believed the ease as a "generation game," that Occupational Health Centre in not be used to exclude women for the right of all workers in this employees were only concerned is it is usually into the third or Winnipeg; it is the only such from certain jobs. Rather the country to be ensured of the three with money and that they could fourth generation before any ac centre run solely by labour in focus should be on eliminating or fundamental rights of occupa not be suggesting strike action for tion is taken. By then it is far too North America. She stated that controlling reproductive ha:zards tional health and safety: the right other reasons. There also seemed late and by that time the industry we must educate our doctors, at the source thereby protect all to know; the right to participate; to be a feeling that the members is usually on its economic knees most of whom receive little or no workers, both men and women. the right to refuse. would not stand up and take strike as is the case with asbestos. training in occupational disease at Bob Sass, a well known health action given the currently poor Gee spoke of radiation as an medical school. and safety activist, addressed the Cathi Carr, Occupational Health job market. international problem for which She urged workers to raise the conference on day three and and Safety Representative with the One might hesitate to suggest a trade unions need to develop an issue of their dirty workplaces spoke eloquently about the Ontario Nurses Association Staff sexist attitude but many of our international response. At the and the toxic chemicals that they centrality of work in all our lives. Union . EDITORIAL The part-time professor, overworked and underpaid The job you By MAUREEN HAWKINS As we all know, part-time workers (a disproportionate number of whom are women) save could comprise one of the most exploit ed groups in Canadian labour. Part-time workers receive p0or be your own salaries and no benefits or job se curity: attractive conditions for employers who want to be more By SUE CRAIG "flexible". The part-time faculty "How can they go on strike when so many people have no at York University, who com jobs?" prise half of Local 3 of the Cana It's a question many - especially those outside the labour dian Union of Educational Work movement - have been asking themselves as union after union ers are no exception. That's why has hit the bricks in recent'months. we're on strike. Transit workers, garbage collectors, college and university Like most part-time workers, teachers and support staff, film crews, newspaper workers, auto we're underpaid. We teach about workers and library workers, all have walked picket lines in 30 percent of the courses at York towns and cities across Canada in 1984, although the tum-around but receive about 7 percent of its in our depressed economy of which business and government budget. Full-time professors re leaders boast is a long way from ''trickling down'' to the majority ceive an avenme of $45,000 for of Canadians. teaching 2.5 courses; we receive How can they strike when so many are out of work? It's a an average of$15,000forthe same question that answers itself. workload. Full-time professors re Business has cynically used the depression of the late 1970s ceive numerous fringe benefits; we and early '80s - if it did not deliberately cause it - to take away don't. None of this is the fault of the from workers many of the hard-fought gains of earlier years. full-time faculty; in fact, their union, It has demanded and won concessions from workers in the the York University Faculty Associa name of mutual survival. Take wage cuts, companies have told tion, supports our demands. workers, or we'll go out of business and you'll all be out of work. Like most part-time workers, Workers have heeded and made sacrifices, in the name of the we have no job security. Most of greater good of all. us are unemployed from April to Meanwhile, employers have introduced efficiencies and new September - nor do we usually technologies that have done away permanently with thousands of know if we will have a September serve a lower salary. But 75 per tions are rare - and rarer still for jobs. position until late August or later. cent of the part-time faculty at those of us who cannot relocate. Now -when the profit picture is turning rosy-employers are We may spend the summer pre York have a Ph.D. or equivalent Unlike most part-time workers, breaking faith with the workers who struggled to keep them alive. paring a course only to find it degree; most of the remainder are we have a union and the power to Instead of sharing their rising fortunes, they have been de won't be offered. We aren't paid not only highly qualified, but are strike. We need it; the university manding yet more concessions. for that work. increasing those qualifications. 87 is unwilling to concede us more Many unions have nothing left to give, except the basic union York is also trying to take back percent of us have research pub than a 6 percent increase on our security, job security and job retraining provisions without which our present seniority provisions; lished and/or in progress. Most of meager salaries, thougi. :! ay have they would hardly dare to call themselves unions. if they succeed, an experienced us have extensive teaching ex an unallocated surplus of 6-9 mii Accordingly, employers are going after union security, job part-time faculty member could perience. Our qualifications clear lion dollars, have paid off their security and job retraining (for tech change) clauses. be denied a course in favour of ly compare well with those of the deficit and gave a larger raise to Because technological change has turned to traditionally fe someone who has never taught at full-time faculty. YUFA. Support our strike: tele male office jobs, and because in non-traditional jobs women are York. Nor do we have priority for It is also argued that part-time phone or write the York Univer at the bottom of seniority lists, women have been engaged in the rare full-time positions that faculty have well-paid spouses, sity administration, its Board of these battles not only by the side of men but often in the open; in fact we are seldom con are working only for interest's Governors and/or your MPP to vanguard. sidered for them. sake or pin money and don't want support our demands, don't cross The strike at the Metropolitan Toronto Library is a prime We have little input into our to work full-time. Many of us, our picket . lines - better yet, example. work conditions. Though we have however, receive our only in come join us there! The employees -80 percent of them female -have been held taught for as many as 15 years at come from teaching and would to provincial government wage restraint for two years. Even pay York, few departments allow us gladly teach full-time. Indeed, Maureen Hawkins is a member of increases to eliminate sex discrimination have been outlawed for to sit on the committees that many who are lucky enough to the Canadian Union of Educational them. determine our and our students' find the work teach more courses Workers, Local 3. Now, the municipally appointed library board is trying to gut academic lives. than a full-time faculty member - the union's job-security language, even though, a management It is often argued that part-time in order to piece together an in As Union Woman went to press spokesman told the Toronto Star before the strike began, it does faculty are less qualified than come totaling less than a third of the CUEW agreed to binding arbi not believe technological change is a threat to jobs. full-time faculty and therefore de- his. Unfortunately, full-time posi- tration. The board, in fact, may well have deliberately provoked the strike for the purpose of balancing its out-of-whack budget at the expense of its employees. According to an article in the Globe Renfrew strike and Mail last spring, the board estimated costs would exceed its income by $625,000 this year. settled But whatever its motive in causing the strike, you may be assured the board will not settle without concessions if it can A two-month strike by 23 social possibly get them. And we in the labour movement cannot afford workers and clerical staff at the more concessions. Renfrew County Family and Women in the labour movement are proving once again that we Children's Services ended when a can fight when we must. tentative agreement was reached OWW members and friends are urged to support the strike Sept. 29. efforts of our sisters and brothers wherever and however you The settlement was a major vic can. tory for the members of Local 459 Join support picket lines (you 'II often see our banner). Boycott who were seeking a greater share struck companies' products, invoke hot-cargo clauses, write let of the wage increase for the ters, talk up the issues with co-workers. lower-paid clerical staff. The job you help save could be your own. Before the strike, the employer was offering six percent to the so Sue Craig is on the executive of the Southern Ontario Newspaper cial workers, but only five percent Guild. to support staff. The settlement gives social workers 5.5 percent, retroactive to Feb. 1, 1984, and clerical staff six percent. Both groups receive an additional three percent Nov. 1 under the new 18-monthcontract. The settlement was ratified unanimously. An employer's de mand to add 2.5 hours to the cleri 'What else can cal work week was withdrawn. do? The day The strike achieved what the -ONTARIO LABOUA care centers Three leaders from the Canadian Union of Public Employees, from for second members wanted - basically a left: Shirley Carr, new CLC secretary-treasurer, previously execu redistribution of the money which tive vice-president of the Congress; Grace Hartman, who retired the employer had originally of from the position of natlonal president of CUPE last year; and fered so that more of it would go Lucie Nicholson, president of the Ontario Division of CUPE, who to the six clerical members. was elected a vice-president-at-large of the CLC. Password, OPSEU Local 459 Immigrant women Union Woman is published four times a year by Organized Working Women. The Editorial Board of the newspaper a workshop UNION is the Executive Council of OWW. Union Woman is free to members of By JILL JONES wages, working conditions, and OWW and is available for distribution to On October 13, Women Work job security. Cleaners, who were union locals on request. ing With Immigrant Women, and mainly Portuguese, struck at First the Ontario Immigrant Women's Canadian Place in Toronto and Letters to the editor, opinion pieces and Network Co-sponsored a work made many gains showing that WOMAN news stories should be &mt to: shop dealing with unemployment success is possible through union Organized Working Women, among immigrant women. Sev solidarity. 366 Adelaide Street East, Suite 426, enty women of different ethnic Heather Webster of the Amal Toronto, Ontario. MSA 3K9 Tel. 364-2161 backgrounds met to share their gamated Transit Union explained views and concerns. Organized the policies of the Canadian Working Women sent two exe Labour Congress concerning the cutive council members to the problems of unemployment. workshop to act as resource per Many problems, needs and sons and to share information. Robichaud appeal in court solutions, were identified in the Briefs were presented from the workshops including: By KERRY McCUAIG clearly defined policy against, nan has never been disciplined three main sectors where immi The federal government has sexual harassment which had and an employee who supported grant women are employed. The labour legislation which only taken a victim of sexual harass been communicated to the em his claim was given time off. first brief was from the textile provides minimum standards for ment to court because it does not ployees" and there was no proper A successful outcome to the clothing sector which has seen the most workers in Canada want to be held liable for damages investigation into Robichaud's case will offer an important pre loss of many jobs in the last ten lack of protection for part time workers because one of its employees complaint. cedent for sexual harassment vic years. Grants given to these com harassed her. Federal lawyer Peter Dooley tims. For the first time the ques panies by government have been the need for a shorter work week with no loss in pay to create Bonnie Robichaud, a cleaner at conceded there was no written tion of a poisoned work environ used to modernize existing the Canadian Forces Base in policy but said the federal ment is being tested. If it is upheld facilities and in the process to lay more jobs adequate and accessible North Bay, first complained to government had shown its op a woman will no longer have to off workers, the majority of the Human Rights Commission in position to sexual harassment by prove she was coerced into sexual whom are immigrant women. retraining programs which pay reasonable living allowances Jan. 1980 that her foreman, Den establishing an anti-discrimina activity. Being subjected to sex The second brief was presented nis Brennan, used his position tion office in the public service. ual innuendo, conversation or ac by the Hotel and Restaurant enforcement of basic human rights to demand sexual favors from her He argued that an investigation tivity will be considered grounds Workers who are employed in a while she was on probation. into the complaint had taken for "adverse differentiation in re sector where minimum legal organization of all workers mandatory affirmative action The commission substantiated place. lation to an employee on the basis protection is yet to be won. The Robichaud's complaint, but a The department however con of sex," an offence under the Employment Standards Act al programs education and organization one-man tribunal dismissed the tinued punitive action against human rights act. lows these workers to be paid a charge despite what he called Robichaud, and another worker The case resumes Nov. 23, lower minimum wage than other around the problems of tech nological change "considerable doubt" about who testified on her behalf was with Chief Justice Thurlow, Jus workers and employers do not Brennan's credibility. reprimanded. Although tice Pratt and former justice have to pay time and a half for controls on capital leaving the country Robichaud appealed the de Robichaud has retained her minister Mark MacGuigan pre work performed on a holiday, cision and in Feb. 1983, a three supervisor's title and pay scale, siding. rather they are allowed to give an international worker solidar ity member tribunal found both she has been transferred off base Kerry McCuaig is a member of the employee a day off at regular pay Brennan and the Department of to wha,t her colleagues refer to as Southern Ontario Newspaper Guild, The workshop also stressed the before or after a holiday. National Defence liable for dam "the punishment block". Bren- Local 87. These workers who work in importance of creating better ages on the grounds they had kitchens and dining rooms also links with the media to create created "a poisoned work en llll Ill 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 spoke about the health and safety more public awareness. It was vironment''. problems they face on the job suggested that community cable The Treasury Board is appeal Jury acquits Morgentaler such as burns, cuts, falls and back television can be an excellent veh ing the liability. Brennan is con problems. icle to inform both workers and testing the Board's agreement Dr. Henry Morgentaler and two associates were acquitted by The workshop heard from the general public about issues of that sexual harassment took an Ontario Supreme Courtjury, Nov. 8 on charges of conspiracy workers employed as cleaners. concern. place. to procure a miscarriage. Calling the jury's decision a "victory These women usually make only This discussion was exciting Robichaud and her husband for everyone", Dr. Morgentaler said it supports "the rights of the minimum wage with no other and stimulating. For many of the Larry sat through the three days women to have decent medical care when they need it. It has benefits. Contracting out of work women there it was their first of testimony Nov. 7-9, accom shown that abortion is not a criminal issue''. is a problem for workers in both opportunity to share their con panied by several supporters and Despite a charge to the jury, which was almost unanimously the hotel/restaurant and cleaning cerns with other women. All members of her union, the Public considered to be biased against the doctors, the six men and six . sectors. agreed that more such confer Service Alliance. women apparently concurred with defense lawyer Morris Man Last year at the Eaton Centre ences are needed to bring people Brennan was not present. ning's argument that the physicians set up an abortion clinic in unionized cleaners lost their jobs together to identify common His lawyer, William Sangster, Toronto last year to protect the health and lives of women facing and their union when the con problems and to work on common admitted Brennan had sex with 1ong delays in obtaining abortion. tractor was changed; the new solutions. Robichaud but argued she had As Union Woman went to press it wasn't yet known if . contractor came in and hired consented. During the initial tri Attorney-General Roy McMurtry would appeal the conviction. workers at lower wage rates. In Jill Jones is a member of the bunal, Brennan denied sexual He has 30 days to file. Manitoba's Roland Penner said he would the last year there has been one United Electrical Workers and sits on contact took place. wait until Ontario announced its intentions before deciding how significant victory for better the executive council of OWW. Robichaud said she found the to proceed with outstanding charges against Dr. Morgentaler in repetition of the harassment de the province. tails "pret~y depressing" but felt Dr. Morgentaler said he would re-open his Harbord Street the case was "going well". clinic as soon as police returned equipment they had seized in the The mother of five children, raid conducted when charges were laid. Robichaud said she would not It took six years and three jury acquittals before Quebec halted have been able to withstand the raids on Dr. Morgentaler's Montreal cijipcs and recommended to ordeal of the past five years with the federal government that the law be amended. OWW's executive out the support of her husband. It remains to be seen if that process will have to be repeated She has also been encouraged by province by province until Ottawa recognizes that its abortion The Executive Councll of Organized Working Women for the the recent moral and financial law is both unjust and unworkable. Year 1984/85 ls comprised of: backing she has received from the President: Sue Craig, SONG labor movement and women's Vice-President: Maureen O'Halloran, ONASU groups. Secretary: Lois Bedard, OSSTF (retired) "It's important that women Treasurer: Joyce Rosenthal, OPEIU have the right to say no. (Sexual harassment) is a way of keeping women as !iecond class citizens." ; ' . ' ...... She said unions have to do more Council Members: Barbara Cameron, YUFA i ' . Cathi Carr, ONASU education so everyone will \ Valerie Hunnlus OPEIU "recognize the importance of achieving a harassment-free Jiii Jones, UE workplace''. Irene Kuusela, CUPE During his two-day charge to Barbara Und&; OPSSU the court, Robichaud's lawyer Shella G,USA McNem; Scott McLean, referred to a -ONTARIO LA.BOUR Jan Newson, YUFA ''confidential memorandum'' by NewCLCV-Ps her base commander stating she was to be made "an example of' Four new vice-presidents-at-large of the CLC: Roxie Baker, presi OWW has ~ree exciting ~mmlttees which you are Invited to and a separate file kept on her. dent of Local 1325 of the United Automobile Workers, Stratford, participate on. You will be made very welcome. The commit He showed the court the peti Ont.; Louisette Hinton, director of the Women's Bureau of the tees are: Newspaper; Membership; Education. lntematlonal United Food and Commercial Workers for the province of Quebec; tions and letters against Doreen Morton, a regional vice-president of PSAC for Northern Decade of Women - Celebration 1985. For further Informa Robichaud since she filed her Alberta and the Northwest Territories; and Diane Wood, second tion please phone the OWW office at 364-2161. complaint. vice-president of the B.C. Government Employees' Union, a comy The review tribunal had said ponent of the National Union of Provincial Government Em the defence department was liable ployees. for damages because it had "no CommentarJI (\(£~~ YOUR c~lENoAl.t Commentary is a forum for debate and discus sion on issues of interest to trade union wo men. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of Organized Working Women.
November 18-22 Ontario Federation of Labour Convention Sheraton Centre, Toronto January 4-6 OWW Residential Seminar March lntematlonal Women's Day Celebrations What's happening May lntematlonal Decade of Women Celebration to Ont. education? For the first time ever, the 7,600 teachers, librarians and NOP meets on equality counsellors at Ontario's 22 community colleges resorted to legal strike action. By MARY ROWLES hers of the party to become better there is a dramatic political We have undertook this province-wide strike because of seri The Ontario New Democratic acquainted with community change and the forty-year ous issues we have been trying to resolve through bargaining for Party sponsored a conference in based campaigns on specific hegemony of the Tories is ended. the past three years. Toronto at the end of October that issues. The conference was structured In the previous round of negotiations, we were prevented from brought together more than 600 NDP leader Bob Rae opened into 14 workshops. Topics for bargaining effectively by provincial wage restraints because our feminist activists from commu the conference with a review of discussion ranging from family demands - which were not wage demands - were considered nity-based groups, trade unions, economic barriers to equality in law reform, the education sys "monetary" by our employer. and the NDP, to discuss a wide Ontario. He criticized the Tory tem, health care, peace and The current round of negotiations (since June, 1984) has pro range of issues confronting government for its abject failure workplace organizing and ones duced a deadlock between our employer, the province of Ontario women in our society. to institute meaningful pay legis which examined problems facing (through its appointed body, the Council of Regents) and our The event was loosely billed as lation, and he ridiculed the particular groups of women, for union, the Ontario Public Service Employees' Union. a conference in "Women's Equal "voluntary" affirmative action example, the elderly, immigrants, ity" and was intended to provide program the government has rural and northern women. An What are the issues? an opportunity for activists from sponsored. Rae pointed out that additional workshop was We have identified workload as the main issue in the last two across the province to meet, ex at the current rate of progress, it conducted over the lunch hour to rounds of negotiations because this issue affects not only our change information, review cam should take 1,800 years for af discuss the use of community working conditions, but also our job security and - most impor paigns and announce strategies. firmative action to reach the television program by feminists. tantly to you - the quality of education in Ontario. The day-long meeting was also major employer in the Province. One workshop was also offered in What we are asking for is not a utopian contract; we want a intended to provide an oppor He invited participants to face which women who had cam workload formula similar to the one in place at Ryerson. This tunity for the New Democrats to the political reality that no paigned successfully and kind of formula recognizes things like class size, marking of make better known their policies substantial changes for women unsuccessfully for public office at papers, supervision of students in job training settings, coun on women's issues and for mem- are likely to occur in Ontario until all levels of government offered selling on a one-to-one basis, placement, testing, the preparation practical advice for women in differential for old and new courses, meetings and committee terested in running. work as part of our jobs beyond the number of teaching hours. While some participants felt In response to our demand for a formula similar to the one at that the workshops lacked focus Ryerson, the province countered that we be assigned an un because of their size, and the var limited number of teaching hours per week! iety of topics covered in each, Faced with this kind of an offer, w~ felt w~ had no choice but to most of those attending reported seek a strike mandate. Our members were not only insulted, but they were pleased to meet women provoked by management's refusal to budget on our main de from across the province who are mand. actively involved in lobbying and All of us, like you, desperately need our regular incomes to organizing community-based meet our bills and support our children. Yet why are we willing to support action. Participants take this financial risk to go on strike? found opportunities to exchange We are deeply concerned about the quality of education in information and strategies, and Ontario. When classes are too large, when students are placed in for New Democrats it was a good labs without enough supervision, when courses are run chance to evaluate our policy in haphazardly and a teacher is given 48 hours notice to prepare an terms of contemporary entirely new course, when nursing students are not given the Ha~I?~ retirement, Dorothy campaigns. supervision they used to receive in clinics and hospitals, when Several motions were brought facilities are cut, when resigning teachers are not replaced in Members of OWW joined Dorothy McKinnon in celebrating her to the final plenary session and ongoing programs - what happens? The colleges and province retirement. Dorothy was for many years an active member of accepted by participants there save on money. CUPE 79, where she had served as chairperson of its women's including a motion that a telegram committee. Dorothy has also served on the executive council of But something else also takes place. What we see happening is of support be sent to the Morgen a dramatic reduction in the quality of education for our young OWW. From I tor are: Sheila McNeill, Joyce Rosenthal, Dorothy taler trial defence. Conference McKinnon, Irene Kuusela and Lois Bedard. people, for the unemployed who are seeking retraining, and for organizers were also instructed to immigrants and other disadvantaged groups. We are physically send a message of support to no longer capable of giving the same quality education we gave Quebec Shipbuilders whose jobs even a few years ago. are being eliminated by new tech Ontario is a province whose per capita spending on education nology. Participants in the work has dropped from first place in Canada to tenth over the past 10 shop discussing economic years. Under the present government education has turned into a equality /affirmative action appa "warm body" affair - just place a teacher in front of as big a ! Join OWW! rently felt a particular sense of sol class as possible, with no concern (or the content and the process idarity with these workers of education. threatened by new methods of At the same time, we see record numbers of applications to production. community college programs, and record numbers of rejections Membership in OWW is open to aii women who are mem- Michelle Landsberg closed the hers of a bona fide collective bargaining unit or a bona fide to our job training courses. conference with a witty and per Is this the kind of educational system you want in Ontario? organizing committee of a union. Membership is $20.00 sonable speech in which she per year. . picked on the theme ofdirect elec S. Stylianos, chairperson, strike committee, Local 556 OPSEU. To join OWW, send in this application form with proof of toral action mentioned by Bob union membership to the OWW office, address below. Rae earlier in the day. She discus sed women's frustration with the Name ...... traditional political process in general terms and from personal As Union Woman went to press, the Davis government passed back-to-work legislation breaking the college teachers' strike. Address ...... experience, but urged her audi Under the legislation all issues are to go to binding arbitration ence to recognize and build on the with the exception of workload which is to be studied by a special ...... Telephone ...... energy and experience rep committee. resented at the conference and to Union ...... Local ...... work towards gaining direct polit ical power to effect social change. Organized Working Women, A report on the conference is 366 Adelaide Street East, Suite 426, being prepared by the organizers Toronto, Ontario MSA 3K9 and will be sent out to those who Correction Telephone 364-2161 registered. Extra copies should be ATTEND The last issue of the newspaper available for others who are in incorrectly identified Jan News ellgjblo to join oww. yoo""' Invited to subscribe to terested, and enquiries should be on's union affiliation. Jan Newson UNION WOMAN at $10.00 per year. made at NDP Caucus Outreach is the past chairperson of the York (Toronto) 965-3700 . University Faculty Association.