Human Rights and Equity Report
CMG-CBC BEC Meeting: Monday, September 14, 2009
Prepared: Sunday, September 13, 2009
Michael D’Souza
Director, Human Rights and Equity

Joint Employment Equity Committee:
The call for applications for two seats on the Joint Employment Equity Committee closed on Friday, September 11. I knew we had a lot of applications and asked Jean Broughton to forward the ones that were in before the deadline so we could start reviewing them over the weekend. She sent out 16 submissions and I know of a couple of others that are likely in within the deadline. The applications come from across the country and represent the diversity of Canada.
Elaine Janes resigned from the committee. Harry Mesh, Michael Santianni and I will now go through the applicants and have a recommendation for the Branch by its next meeting.

REMINDER: Pay Equity
The BEC at its June face-to-face meeting agreed to raise the issue of the joint Pay Equity Committee at the next National Joint Committee meeting, which I understand is this month. The pay equity committee is a joint committee that’s supposed to deal issues concerning equal pay regardless of gender. I was hoping that the Pay Equity committee could start meeting in October. While every effort will be made to start meetings next months that deadline may have to be pushed back to November. It is my intention to call for candidates for this committee as soon as we have the selection process for the Joint Employment Equity Committee wrapped up. We need a committee of the branch to make those selections and on Monday, September 14 I’ll ask for volunteers. A selection committee of three people should suffice. So get your volunteering arms exercised and ready for tomorrow.

Band 13
It’s almost a year now since the union brought the issue of the pay inequity among members in Band 13 to management’s attention. While base rates are comparable the women, and there are very few of them in this band, are way below in additional compensation. This issue has also been noted at the News Renewal meetings. Management has promised a resolution but one has not been forthcoming. If there’s no resolution by the time the National Joint Committee meets I’ll ask for the matter to be raised there and also referred to the National Grievance Committee in time for its next deliberation. If there is no resolution there we have the option of pursuing this matter in the courts.

Outreach: CUP – Canadian University Press

CUP held its summer school in mid August and invited the union to speak about getting a job in a union environment. CUP brings its leaders from across Canada to talk about the coming academic year and the organizations plans. These are the leaders who deal with the staff of campus papers across the country. CUP is a co-operative of newspapers at university and college campus across Canada.

I attended the session with Terri Monture, the Staff Rep for Human Rights and Equity, and Jean Broughton, Union Services Co-ordinator. I made the primary presentation on getting a job in the media while the media is shrinking. Both Terri and I pointed out that the media is about the most unionized sector of the economy. We also both talked about equity issues in the workplace.

Fourth Floor issues:
The turmoil over News Renewal and the reassignment in the news service had just settled down when the reassignments for Newsworld were announced. There is now a palpable anger on the news floor and the members are demanding for a union meeting. I’ve been discussing this with the Toronto local exec. The main complaints are about shifts. Many people have split shifts over the week ? a few days on one schedule and then a few on another. In many cases it means working a shift that starts at 3:00 in the morning on Saturday. Also, several people who were promised senior position, such as senior producer, are now finding that those are not their assignments. A meeting will help air out some of these grievances. But in many cases management does have the right to assign people as it wishes. We do have to take a closer look at the split shifts over the week.

From minutes of June 5-6 BEC meeting minutes
Pay Equity Committee ? D’Souza ? written report submitted
This committee has been inactive for several years but pay equity issues continue. The failure to meet needs to be taken to the National Joint Committee for resolution. D’Souza would like a first meeting held by October of 2009.
MOTION: to adopt the following recommendations:
? The National Joint Committee immediately discuss and agree to establish a Joint Committee on Pay Equity in keeping with Section 10 of the Memorandum of Agreement.
? This Committee have six members.
? Each side will have three members.
? Each side will appoint a co-chair.
? The Committee on Pay Equity will meet four times a year.
? The committee hold its first meeting by October 1, 2009
? The union invite members at large to join this committee.
? The union encourage members of equity seeking groups to participate in this committee.
M/S Forest/Payant
It was noted that this is strictly a gender issue as defined by law.
Carried unanimously