UNnTERSAL SOLIDARITY= RECOGNITION OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN THE CANADIAN LABOUR UNION MOVEMENT

Mundy Yvette McLaughih

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Sntdies in p d luihllmmr of the requirements for the degree of Master of Law Gnduate Programme in Law Osgoode Hall Law School York Unbersiq

No& York, Ontario

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Universal Solidarity: RecogniPng Minority Comm~ties within the C d a n Labour Movement Practice b~

Mundy McLaughlin

a thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of York University in partial fulfiument of the requirements for the degree of

Master of Laws

2000 O Permission has been granted to the LIBRARY OF YORK UNIVERSITY to tend or seil copies of this thesis, to the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF CANADA to microfilm this t hesis and to lend or seIl copies of the film, and to UNIVERSITY MICROFILMS to publish an abstract of this thesis. The author reserves other publication rights, and neither the thesis nor extensive extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's written permission.

UMVERsAL, S O L r D ~ T Y : RECOGNITION OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES INTHE C M A D W LABOUR L N O N MOVhlENT Solidarity is essentiai to a successful labour union movement. The labour union movement is the only vehide Lhrough which wotkers c m effectioely improve th& position uir a

employers and governmmts. Solidaritg is a beiief that the whole is saonger than the individual. It requires workers to nibvert th& individuai interests for the good of the whole. Yet, if individual workus do not fed that th& identities and interests are recognized and respected Mthin their unions, they wiU feeI a qualified smse of solidarity. This thesis examines historical examples of how issues of gender, race and ethnicity have been balanced

with solidatity. It canvasses feminist, race and politicai theory for insights into how union governance structures rnight be configued to enhance the participation of minoPty s the duy of f i represnitation are discussed and it communities. Legal p ~ c i p l e underlying is suggested chat if internalized by unions, these principles c m offer a mediaMg process for

balan-

the kterests of all union rnembus. In addition, prudence on the duty of

unions and emplopen to accommodate off= insigha into how individual union members might come to recognize that respect for diffaence is for the good of the whole union, and not " s p e d treamienf'. F i , the a

d political pnctices of onions are disnissed, and

cornpared to proposah that contempotarg political theorko have made to address issues that arise fiom goveming a heteropeous comrnuaitytPSolidaSy is viemed t b u g h the subjective intexpretations of individuai trade unioniso, and the condusion is reached that an

approach which recogaizs and respects hdividuaI identities and concuns Win enhance

solidarity and aeate a more effective pade uoioa movemmt This donly be achieved if union mernbers see the interests of those other than &-&es as a whoIe.

as the interests of the union

1 am most grateful to my supervisor Professor Eric Tucker for his support and guidance throughout my invobement in the p d u a t e programme. 1feel very fortunate to have worked with a supervisor with bis degree of iusight and who knew how to d e the experience was both tigourous and enjoyable. Thk thesis is my product, but would not be what it k wihout his respecthl colkboration. 1 s i n c d y thank Professor Lorne Sossin and Hvry M u n for, once again, enthusiasticallp d e m a n h g rigour in my rnethodology and product. Their insights are woven into the fabac of this thesis.

I dedicate this thesis to Bumia BrodoMch (UFAW/C\W), irene Friend (C\W)Carmen , Henry (CUPE),Louisette Hinton (LFCW), Ruth Lason (CUPW),Ed Laysom (CAW), Huguette LeSIanc (CUPW),Carolya Lee (CUPW), HarSniDder Magon (CUPE), Jay Nak (UFCW), Peggy Nash (CAYU), Moaique Pauzé (CEQ/ChuuplaLi), D a m Robichaud (CUPW), Nancy Rosenberg (CUPE), Ed Rosenstrom (G\W),EIaine White (G\W). I only hope that ehis thesis k worthy of the love and devotion that these brothus and sistus have demonsated for wotkers and rheir unions. My interviews with these mm and women emiched and injected life into my research. Their generosity and wkdom inspired me. 1thank my ciassrnates in the Graduate Programme for m a h g the experieiice at Osgoode much more than an individuai research project. Our activism in mobiliPng for changes within the Programme and orknizing the Graduate Studmts Confience brought us out of our carrels CO work together. 1 hope the Eendships we fomied wiU 1st a long tirne.

The Soaety of Energy Professioaals perously supported me in this project, both by grnnring a year's leave of absence and by contributing to my Nition costs. Without this support, 1don't know whether it would have been possible to undupke rhese snidies.

I am also ptehil to my fomiu brothers and sisters of the Society StaEUnion for teachuig me the meankg of solidariq. I have learned at least as much fiom each and every one of you as I have fiom my work on this thesis. 1express my e n t h h t i c appreciation to my new unployer, Ontario Power Generation, for

giving me the opportunity to put some of mg ideas about dmersity Uito practice in the workphce. 1 received financial support thangs to the Helena Orton Memonal S c h o h h i p and the Mary Jane Mossmui Graduate Scholarship. These grants were a determining factor in my decision to enter the Gmduate Prognmme in Law at Osgoode H a They showed me that there was support and encouragement for work that fonused on the intemts of women and minority communïties in the labour field. 1appreciate these schokrships for the encouragement they gave me to come to Osgoode, which hu bem a w o n d d environment fot dohg graduate

work. I also thank Professor Judy Fudge for a Graduate Associateship and for her enthttsirisric sharing of idormation and ImowIedge.

FuialIy,1 must thank my mother and f a t k for supporthg me in whatever 1 do, and for tadung me the importance of beiug honest and of do& others.

what one c m for the good of

Chapter 1:

Introduction and Methodology

PW 1

Chapter II:

Histoncai Case Studies

Page 22

Chaptet III:

Theoreticai Approaches to Soiidarity

Page 74

Chapter W.

The Legai Ftamework of Union Representation Page 137

ChapterV:

Appiied Theoty: Trade Union Democracy

Chapter VI:

ConcIusion Redefining Soiidarity

-

Page 171 Page 225

Page 235

Bibliogtaphy Appendix

Trade Union Contacts

Page 243

Appendix YB":

Methodology For Consuitation With Trade Union Represmtatives

Page 247

Chaptet 1: Introduction and Methodology Then I go to my brotha And I say brother help me please me But he winds up kno-g Back down on my knees There've been cimes that 1 thought 1 coddn't l u t for long But now 1 think I'm able To cvry on Ir's been a long a long tirne corning But I know, a change is gonna come Oh, yes it d. Sam ~ o o k e '

Canadian unions are agents of change. The. are the only rehicle through which working ckss Canadians can better the&workmg conditions and have an effective w t c e in

their unequal powcr rclaaonships with Canadtan employers and gouernments. Ernp1oyx.s join unions because the' believe that doing so wiU change things for the berner. S d , unions themselves have had diffiicuty a d i u s ~ g to change in the Gnadian workforce as

more wornen, mom visible and ethnic minonues, more openly gay and lesbian, Native and disabled peoplc have ioined the wotkforce and become union members.' These wotkers 1

Sam Cooke, "A Change L Gonna Corne" (excerpt), ABKCO Music.

In 1981, 31.S04 of the employed labour force wcre people from backgrounds other than British or French. Trisut Resources, Ana5sti oj EmpIbymmf and E ~ b ~ B u rO~@rts ~ ~ r d(Polit!. & Research, Multidninlimi. hIulticulturalism & Citizenship, 1989). Statistics Canada braks d o m the presence of women,visible mliorities, Abonginal peoples and people wîth dkabilities in the workforce at the time of the 1996 Cuisus as follows: women, 46.40fo; visible Mnorities, 103O/o; hbongiaal peoples, 21°/0; persons with disabilities, 6.5%. (Statisiics Canada, 1996 Census data. Projecaons for persons Mth disabiliües w u b w d on 1991 Health and Actkity Lmiitaaon Survey). Roughly 42Oh of union mernbers are women and union density for women wockers was 31-7% compared to 34.2?h foc men: Earnnt B.

have an additional *est

in ch?ngiag union governance stnictures and pnctices to give

them an effecfive voice In this thesis, I am concerned with how the labour movement

might recontigure its structures and pnctices to gain and re& the allegiance of these workers.

The history of organized Iabour is one of white d e privilege. This mny seem Like a sauige statunent in a country where most men and women work for a urage and thcrc is a surpius of wage labour most of the time. AI1 worken are vulnenble in the job market,

and at n disadvantage lir a uiz employers. Nevertheless. women, visible onci ethnic

mliorkies, Native peoples and, probably most severely, persons with disabiliues have been

- and to a considerable estent stiü are - on the mugins ofboth the workforce and the labour movement.

If Canadian labour organimtions - unions and federaâons - cnn be thoughr of as n house, that house was b d t by and for - d

y white' - men. The stcps are b d t to be the

Akeampong, Tbe rire o/unioni~ariunmong wmrn (Wmrer 1998) Snùstics Canada Perspecu~*cs 30 at 30 and 36. RoughLy 69'0 of nrorkers represented by unions were visible minoziaa: Data provided bu Sacisucs Canada. :\nglo and French men workers onginally held a dominant phce in the workforce md the hbour movernent as compnred to other white workers. Historiami have shown thar immigrant Irish and southem European men have also cvperienced a qualified sense of belonto the Canadia0 labour movemait - see, for example, the dixussion in Paimer, Bqan D. Wurfing Ch$Eqn'cna, EE k~binkingibe HHiy o/C~n&an Labour, 18001991 (Toronto: M c C e b d & Stewart, 1992) at 164-165, which dso reports on the hrther saafication of men md women into sWed and wkilled jobs. fmmigant workccs also have had a more precvious s m w in Gnadian soàecy. For example, afcer the Winntpeg Generd Smke in 1919, while Anglo-Saxon Iabour leaders were vcested and released, hmigmnt labour Ieaders were moved to an intemment camp and then deported: A v q , Donald H.k k t d UN: Canaab'sRrsponre ro Iimat&gmnl W W ,1896-1994 voronro: McCIeIland & Stewart Inc, 1995) and W h , Jack Tbr Stog ofLlrn'0mirr CctnodU (Canach J.M. Dent Ec Sons, 1975) at 131. Gillian Creese notes that ccwhite"Ïs "a historicaUy

right size for these men; and the tables and chairs are vnnged in a m e r that suin the mm who piaced them th-

Womm and other disadvantaged groups have suuggted to get

in the door, o r waited to be invited in, only to tiad that they m y only be permined in ce&

rooms, or thac they have to ask that washroorns or rames be installeci foc them.

Also, the house was b d t by men who considered themselves "bcead winners" and worked

prLnvily in Ml-time indusmal jobs. They weren't expecting to share it with workea in put-cime, contingent, semice-orientedjobs4, who remain for the most part shut out of dus house.

This metaphor is an attempt to diusate how en.

into the "House of Lzbour" has

been, more or less, subject to the conditions and restrictions put in place b!. the whitc men

who built and occupy the house. Once inside, those at the margins s d €"el Wrc the- arc tn someone else's house, and that the "house d e s " which rnust be followed are not their own and do not suit their sensibdiries or appronches. The soiidarity olchllfor one, one for aU"

is tx~enencedby some in a q ~ i f i e d way.

Nevertheless, this qualified sense of belonging is undoubtediy superior to not

having a union. Trade union representation îs the ody alternaave for workers seeking a

contesnul, and changing temi" and that, in Canada, "the meaning of 1Vhte' has espanded in the post-nnr period Erom those of British and northem European ongin to include aii those of European ongin.": Contmtn'ng Mmkm'~: G e n k , Ciha anci R a v in a Ir%&-Colh LTiiion, I9-C-1974.(Don b* Oxford University Press, 1999) at 3 and 236. %ee Waakett, Rosemq "DeWho We Are: Solidaritv Through Divusiry in the , and So~iiz.. Change Ontario Labour &vernuitYsin Leys, C. and hfendeD, M., ~ d sCaf'm (Montreal: Black Rose Books. 1992) at 109 and "The Politics of Difkence and Inclusitteness withia the Canadian Labour biovemmt" 1986 in 17 Economic and Indusuial Dernomcy 587, and Creese, q r n note 3, at 203.

seme of ernpowument and an effective meam to improve thek working conditioos. Such gains cm o d y be achieve through union membeship, r@ess

of a woEking person's

strong identification with a community bved on gender, race, sexullitty, or whatever. Thus,

br exampie, a recent statistical study has shown that unions have an equaliwig effcct on Canadian Licornes, reducïng the disparicg berneen the higher and lower income brackets, and, significandy, that union representarion most benefio women Mth respect to the additional income it provides.

h fuaher advmtage to union membenhip is that unions

provide access ro resources and nenvorks for s o d activism at a t h e when many organizations are hding it difricult to obuLi €txndhg."

Therefore, although I believe that communities of identity play a snonger role than Brian Palmer acknowleciges, I agree cuith his assertion that worhg-class solidariy is necessq to advance off workers' interests:

' ~ h a ~ k o w s knichard ~, P and Slotsre, George A,. "L'nions, Inequdity, and the Distribution of Income in Canadx Evidence h m die 1994 Sunrey of Labour and Income Dynamics" (1999) Vol. 2 No. 4 WorkpIace Gazette (Human Resources Development Canada) 85. This study, r h i c h drd not look at diffcrential impacts for workers of colour, etc., found that "unionized mates eam (on average) roughly the same u non-uaionized d e s (a difference was noted of $543 per year); howerer, unionized fernales enjoy a considerablp hqgher income leve1 than do non-unionized f i e s , with a difference in favour of unionized finales of rougMy 56,704.": at 88. (Note thar the s w e y covered d occupations, inciuding white coUar ones, and found that unions did not necessarily improre wages in white collar jobs.) 'For example, Hugene Leblanc, former member of the Canadian Cnion of Postal Worken' (CLTPW) National Executive Boud, reported that worlang with the National Action Cornmittee on the Status of Women presents Enistrations because it h u l e s resources to d m e to feminist orguimng than the CLTW. Also, consider the case of Nancy Rosenberg, Staff with the Canadian Union of Public Ehployees (CLTE),mhose kgal c h a l l q to Revenue Gmda, which had reked to registcr pension pians Mth nirmvor benefits for same sur v e r s (spousc r a s d e b e d as opposite sex ody), nns hnded by

CCPE.

We can appreciate the t l d t i n g Gagmentarion and heterogeneity of workingslnss cultural He in Canada,as elsewhere, wkhouc nnaing our b a h on the pmktence of c u i d distinctivenas, which has historically rested on the hard realities and pusistent antagonisms of the wage dation and exploitation common to all workers. No religious afiaaon, ethnic identification, politicai cross-cIass party, skill distinction, regional context, or gender gulfwill ovemide dJs totaily. They may assure, at cimes, that the cultural d rminin only a ground upoa which an advanced &s-consciousness f a . to hn. This has ccuainly happened throughout much of Canadian history. It is out of just such processes of difference, Li conjuaction with much in the ideologicd and econornic r h , that the niLng o r d u fashions its pdcuiar hegemony. But that hegemony, as the persistent character of class confict in Canada attests, is never just agim; it is a ubiquitous contest, in which therc are as many instances of m - n v i s ~ as g there me handshakes. Moreover, as historians know weU, the v u y same relgious, political edinic, secaonal, regional or sexual concerns chat may reinforce the handshake can also, in altered clcumstances. add muscle to the ckss involvement in &ect combat.'

tt is essentiai CO the success of organized labour that unions cake the responsibility of providing an "advanced dass consciousness" to ali workers. This entail recognizing the diverse idenaties that inhabit the Gnadian working chss and ensuring thnc nade union structures and methods do not lock them out - or m m them off, Other communiaes of

identity IUR ovenide ciass-consciousness if people f i to engage in trade union acictiasm due to issues OF nce, gender, disabilicy or se.yuality. Unions musc also adjust to the changing labour markec nrhich is experiencing reductions in the heaviiy unionized govemmmt and indusaial secton and growvth in the relative- unorgmized private senice scctor - populated GlIlian Creese has wrirten:

primanly by womcn and rninority groups?4s

'Palmer,qîm note 3 ar 20-21. "Chqkowskiuid Slotnt+ qûm note 5, at 86: ...there are some signifiant douds on die horizon of Canadian tmionism In parti&, the broader public sector is heavily unionized, "

so the room for fiuther gowth there îs limitecl; meandde, substanaai donrnrrringof the federd and various provincial governments has resulted in large membershtp losses. In die

The future of organized labouc rests on its ability to reformuhte traditions that emerged fiom e d y mentieth-cennirg strugg1es for the rights of White male breadwinners and to develop new s ~ t e g more k Nited to contempotary social and economic rdties. Conneeàng the past Mtb a more e q h b l e fiiture requires looklig b a b a r d to re-emphasize past coacems with s d justice Lsues, whde Iookmg torward to redehe more broadly what eqdity, dunocracy and social justice might m a n for workmg people in the mentieth cenniry.')

Paimer suggests that if unions r e c o p e changes in the demographcs of the

working class, as meil as the changing labour market dynarnic, ir wdl enhance labour's

suength not dirninish it. Failure to do so d esacerbate divisions and inequatitics. Recognizing and addressing differences should ulamately enhancc unicy. Creese notes that involving ail workers in union governance should augment, not undermine, solidarity:

Such divergent, even conficting interests need not be seen as a threat to union inclusive democrnac approachcs facditate more solidarity. On the con-, effective participation in establishg union goals, suategtes and prioriries. In this sense, then, solidarity can actuaily be strengthened through divenity."'

I argue that unions should provide leadership in acknowledging the importance of Livolving women and minocity groups in union gomrnance. This is because unions, Li the interests of sochl justice, should wanc the minority communities NithLi the working ckss to share equdy in the bene6ts of representation. Moreover, w suggested bv Palmer, Creesc

private sector, parricularlv in manufacturing, union membership has ben in deciine throughour most of the 1990s, while unions have been relatirely slow to organize employees in the rapidy growlig private service sector." "Creese, s q r n note 3 at 203. Iri

Creese, nrpm note 3, n t 314-15.

and othus, udess unions amact minority workers as membets they will be unable to engage effectively in their ongohg sbniggIes with management and govemmeao under the

inaasing pressures of globalkation.

My concem is w i h mhat in labour ianr is considercd "intemal union affairs". This r d m includa, arnong other thuigs, governance structures, the acmrism of minority

communities wichin unions, and the collective consciousness of ank and He union members. In these areas unions are relatively insdated fiom Iegai obiigation." Nevertheless, a plumlisac ciew of legal structures wodd recognize that the pracaces that unions derelop to go\-eem how, for esample, they appoint memben to bargtining aarns o r grievance comrnittees, or decide who d attend theu consrinitional con\-entions, arc n o n c i v e and wonhy of legal study. These n o m influence who makes decisions w i d i respect to negociations, gnevances and how unions are governcd, and therefore have a sipficant impact on the outcomes of these acti~ities.These îcriviues in m m affect the working condiaons and ability to partiapate in die union of individual union membcrs.

The influence of interna1union a f f h on unionized workers is therefore considerable. For chose who nrish to be invoked in the governance of theù unions, it mm be more influentiai than the stntc-promulgatrd labour law fnmework" II

A union's politid and cultural approaches may iafluence how unions handle gnet-ances and negoriacions, and these acticiries are subject to legal s c n i ~ as y discussed in Chapter 1'. One of the topics that I do noc address directly herein is the prinaple of seniotity and how it may impact negativek on workers such as women, risible minoriaes, and Natives. For discussion of diis issue, see Creese, G W . rvpnr note 3, at 115-218, Dulude, Louise, 5'emionp and ~ y m e Eqrriryjor n ~ Komcn (Kingston: Queen's Indusmat Relations Centre Press, 1095) and Joachun, LI. +e, c 4 S e n i ~Rights ~ $ and the Duty to Accommodate"(1998) 21 Queen's LJ. 131"1 an infomed by the andysis of ECIeinhans, Mattha-Marie and hiacdondd, Roderick A. Macdodd in th& d d e '3-t is a Ciifi~'~~iLeg.i Pl-" (1997) 122 Can.J. L h Soc 25

Reaimiag to the concept of the "House of Labour",these tiameworks represent n o m that have been constructed to suit the tnditiond concept of a mde unionist. As 1

M11discuss, women and minoricg groups widua the Labour movement have lkeady begun to buiId their o m spaces within this house, and are using those spaces as a stamng point to reconsmct the House in the image of aU Canadmn workers. My project is to explore how

rhis reconstnxcaon might be informed by labour history, by contemponry race, femliist and democratic theory, and by unions' legai obLgraons to represent hirIy and without disuimuilrion. I seek to examine how unions might alter the normative snuctures of the house in recognition of an expanded conception of uade union idenaty and solidarity that

indudes all workers in Canada.

It seems appropriate to protide some explanauon and conrext for some of the terminolog)- used herein.

hIinorin- Communiaes

This term is used to cover those communiaes of workers within trade unions who are noc able-bodied, heterosend, white mm. As noted above, the rem "white male" has changed in meaning over time hlthough the t e m has expanded from Angle-Sson (or

French in Quebec) to indude d Europan men, dus did not happen without a smtggle. For mam. years Irish, Jearish and Eastern and Southem European men experienced

disaimination oimiLr in kind u note 42 at 22. Note that this relates to the hndamcntal division that emted amongst worken in g e n e d weU ïnto the 20" Cenntry, mhich had the labour movement divïded benveen those who believed union organizaaon shodd be dong cnft h e s and those who betieved that it should be based on industriai orpnization. Sec generaUv P h e t , JY/P~U note 11 and Heron, rupnr note 40WFrager, s

q note 37 at 81*

ovet into their jobs in the F e n t industrg.'*

Men, by contrast, were employed in the

more highly estemied jobs of cuttets, pressers, and doakmakers?

This segregation of production h o made it more difficult for women and men to organUe together effedvely against their employen? Neverthdess, this gmdered division of iabour, which &ted at the T. Ekon Company as it did in other workphces, was what

triggered the 191? labour &pute. The stcike b e p when male doakworkus were toId to sew üauigs into women's coats - work previously performed by women - for no extra

The 65 doakworkers remained at t h e machines but would nor do zny work - Ieading the administration to Lock them out At this point, more than 1,000 of their f d o w workers joined them, roughly one-rhird of the strikers being women?

Some of the Eaton workers

belonged to the Intemaaonai Ladies Garment Workers' Union at the outset, and they cded on the s

d Local for support. The other srRking worken joined the ILGWU the day of

the 10ckout.~ But Gom the outset, the stnke m s seriously underrnined because the Gentile doakmakus did not pa.rtiapate.'5

Worker solidarity, always essencial to the success ofa smke, had an even greater importance at the time of this one. In 1912, the IegaI regime was more or less the same as

%ee Palmer, rvpm note 41, at 193-194. "Frager, "CLiss. Ethnicity, and Gmder in the Eaton Strikes of 1917 and 193.1". a p m note 37 at 189-28.

W i d nt 193. Stecdmm*J %teedmm,

Y

~ note

37 at 79-80.

J-upnrnote 37 at 80-81.

ijFrager. "Chss, Ethnicicy, and Gender in the Earon Strikes of t-blame or to exact reuibucion, but to

increase understanding and promote s h e d identities:

Indeed, to the extent chat histotkd know1edge can inform social change, srudies chat subordinate celebration or iadiment to the ptxrsuit of empathy v d l be the

most effective conmbutioo to the present-&y quest for a Lbor movement restored to the forefiont of the sauggle for r a d justice""

Builci& a sense of beloaeian b w d on recomiiaon and remect

AssumLig that public spaces can be transfomed to welcome dtemative ways of

s p h g , and incorponte diffuent perspectives; and rhat effom have been made CO acknowledge and counterbahce historicll subordination; the key question for trade unionists is how to ueate a sense of belongkia Le. solidanty, that is not based on unifocmiry?

Charles Taylor has been concemed with the abxlity of different c u l ~ r e sro maintam

th& integicg and co avoid assimilatioa. He argua that individual identities are Linked to communiaes and that assindation of chese individual and cultumi idenaaes is therefore a violation of their "authentic" idenaaes. He notcs, Like other thcorists discussed above, that it is onlr different dwes whch are forced, in a system of "unisrersal equality" into the mold of the dominant nom, i.e. they must conform in order to access that univend nom. S p e d meames to adjust that nom to accommodate ciifference should not therefore be considered as rempomy measures to reverse p s t disuimination and "bring us back to an eventual 'difference bhd' social space". Radier, they shodd be consxdered permanent measurcs Li orda to "maintain and cherish difference, not just now but f~rn-cr-''~

''Leexin, supm note 51 at 193. Taylor, C. q b r n note 35 at 40 @O"es). Note though that Taylor does not adequarely ded with the pmblern of a rninoriy culture quiring confomïty on the p u t d i t s members. See discussion by Jurgen Habermas in "SauggIes for Recoption in the Dmiocratic Consatuaod State" mpm, note 48. Essentidy, minority communitits musc &O propide foc re-aegoaltion of diat comrnunity idenaty, to avoid being assirnilationist themselves.

In hct, instead of v i e the need to ain~fonn& h g

systems as a problem,

caused by specizl interests, one can vim the problem as being existing systuns of s o d

oqganization that cannot accommodate d those who Ime within it. James Tully Mites (consistent with Taylor's conception of "authentiaty") that it is fiuidamentally disrespecthl to expect people to live their lives within systans that do not d o w public reaiization of their identities. Rqgd sysrems that inhibit partiapation and acknowledgement of dikencc

need r-dnging, rather than the other way around:

If the 'old and h a b i d ideas of the main group' are not 'flexible enough to admit n w groups, then these ideas need changing, a far ben- thing to do than rcject thc emerging goups'."

TuUy discusses how €dure to recognize the inherent d u e in different cultures is in lact a rejection. H e argues that such rejecaon leads to disunity. Conversely, hc argues thnr

recogmaon of difktent groups lads to unity: Cirizens have a sense of belonging to, and identification with,a consrintuonai association in so f u as, tirse, they have a say in the formacion and goverring of thc association and, second, the' see their own cultural wavs publicly acknowledged and a f h e d in the basic insrintaons of th& society." rsTdy, James,~pm note 16 at 198,quoring Edwvd Said 7rlbid at t 97-8. See aiso Sheppard, rvpm note 16 at 166: ".-[AlccommoQtion of individual and group &€ferencesis also of critid importance and contributes sigllficantly to aeating a culture of inclusion and respect wirhLi institutions. Individuals and groups for whom the accommodation is made are sent a dar message that rhek membeahip in the Ulstinitiod community is value& Responduig to th& needs bemmes an instituaonal concem and commitmentn The message of respect and indusion of course is heightened, if, consistent with the reasoalig in the M e n case, r~ note 21, kutituaow are transfomed in a \va? that accommodation of individual cases is unnccessuy.

The opposite of diis rejection, then, is respect Charles Taylor discwes Rousseau's antipathy to the concept of "respect", based on his masonhg that conveying respect or "honoui" is creaàng prefkrences, or social hiesarchies. But Taylor discusses how

Rousseau Çound the s o a of respect @en to aihletes at public spectacles as non-hierarchid Bo& have considered whether perhaps public space is a fonun in which mutual, reaprocal, non-hierarchicai respect is possible. In addition, in a public space the power of words and persuasion hold the potmaal for undennïning relationships of domliance and subordliarion. 1 6nd the following passage from Salmon Rudr&e'z Midmgbt's CbiUnn a more c o m p e h g portrayal of rhis than Rousseau's sportîng events. It features a snake charmer 'Ticnue Singh" who takes over the public appeannce of a govemment officiail: One aftemoon during the chaya, the ghetto w u visited by another copy of dint labia-lipped youth who I'd sem at ml*unde Mustapha's. Standmg on the steps of the mosque, he unfurled a banner which was t h a held up by ewo assistants. Ir read: ABOLISH POVERTY,and bore the cow-suckling-calf symbol of the Indin Congress. His face looked rernarkably Lke a plump cllf s facc and he unleashed a typhoon of halitosis when he spoke. "Brothus-O! SYters-O! What d o a Congress say to you? This: thac ail men u e created equal!"..Picnire Singh shook hL heîd, clutched his sides: "O speech, captaîn! hbsolute master speech!" His Iaughter rolled out fiom beneath his umbreh to infect the crowd und all of us were r o h g on the ground, Iaughuig, crushing ants, getong covered in dusb and the Congress mooncalfs voice rose in panic ' m a t is thk? This Wow doesn't think we are equals?" ...Picnire Singh, umbr&-over-head, was stridmg away towards his hut..Picnire renimed, g@ under his left um a small cLcular lidded basket and under his righr annpit a wooden flute. He phced the basket on the srep beside the Congress-wallah's feet; removed the iid; nised flute to lips...Pictue Singh plays und the Eiute's music tills e v q cranny of the slum and threatens to sale the walls of the mosque, and at lut the great snake, hzneng in the air, supported only by the enchanmient of the tune, stands nine feet long out of the basket and dauces on its d. P. i m e Singh relents. Nagarai subsides into COils..." Okay, captain", Picture Singh says agreably, give it a try." But kbiz lips: 'Mm, you know I couldn't do t t n Whereupon Picture Singh seizes the cobra just below the head, opens his oam mouth d e mide widc, disptaying an Smoic wreckage of teeth and gums; Ninking lefi-eyed at die Cocypss youth, he inscm the d e ' s tongue-flicking head into his hideously yanming onfice! A full minute p v s a before Picnice Singh retums the cobra to its basket Very kmdly, he teils the youdit "You see captain, here is the

'w

mthof the business: some persoas are better, 0thnice for you to thLik ~. should c d narnes back niis is the son of leadership they were iacing. a lot of hanssment, ciifferend ueatment, beLig bypassed for promotions, Iack of represenntion in workphce for people of colour and AboOginal peoples, and ais0 being mocked at their own union meetings. Even the supervisors wodd be hmssing h e m - if rhq.went co management they w a e hvassed more, forced to leave wotk, shecr fiutration, having to go home and cry about thi.ugs.a

'Wuminder Magon, CUPE Nancy Rosenberg, &O a staff resource for CUPE, recounted hom personal evperimce &O helped cary the motion to form a CUPE Gay and Lesbian Cointnittee ''1 w u there - it went v q w d , a c d y . There were a lot of organized speakers, orpuzed ahead of cime to speak in hvow of the resolution. Some Ieadenb people were approached and did speak in hvour, 1don't remember the detlils, but I un pretty sure that some of the leadership spoke who were not gay and Iesbiui k e were some con spcakcn. One of our members €mm Ndoundluid spoke very movingly about his experience of being in a €&y isohted uu of counay for gays and lesbian - moving for a lot of people to hear - somethïng dong Iines that a comminee wodd help. The resoiuâon carried in t 9% at the convenâon-"

The result was that a resohition was passed to surt up a cornmittee that would look at problun and corne up with recommmdations. In this way, pusonal stories had

pefswshe force that advernarial debate rmy have ladre& Ch*

the type of discourse

pkyed a put in the successful outcome.

Union meetings can &us be demoaric in a aumba of ways: they provide a forum for minority communities to speak up; they permit communities to use fonns of discourse that they are cornfortable Mth;and sotnecimes they persuade the mamajority to adopt minoritg

concerns as those of the whole union.

Unions aiso in\-est considerable resources în educitionals." These prognms a h CO make union represencatkes more effective, and educate h e m about the disuiminacion

experienced by rninority cornmuniries in the union movement and in the workphce. These prognms have evolred COtake a more experientid approach to educarioh So, for example, the CLrPW may b

~ ingguest speakers lrom the gap community to speak about their

expeciences and thus aise awareness about homophobia. The CLTW encourages, k o u g h the hiring of sigo interpretm, the parriciparion of heuiag impaired people so that

p d a p a n n can understand - maybe for the k t time - how these CO-workersurpexience the workpkce difluently fiom & e n w

')%Ulthe unions Livolved in this s e (the LW, CFCW,CUPW, CFAWL'/G\W.CEQ, CUPE) supported conferences and educationds that advanced the heteresa of minori$ groups. AU &O produced n d e m and eduatiood matenais to support local efforts CO combat discrimination through negotiatioas, anti-hanssment mcasufes and other acavities. %mxviews anth Ruth Larsen, CLrPW, who desmbed h W a hearing LnpaÏred woman spak at a human righrs course as an "'eye opener" and Hugette teblanc, CWW, who recounted not knonring that a h h g impaired woman whom she had worked Mth w u a

The CAW approadi to educatioa has evobed from a traditional lecture format to a more pdcipatory o n e Their approach to f m J n i t educatiou, for uumple, encourages women to use th& own rxperience and viewpoints to h d an approach to funinism chat

they c m fetl cornfortable with, as well as understanding the puspectives of women who beiong to other disadrianmgcd groups. Peggy Nash h d s this approach supenor to a lecture format, which would lave people feeling stupid, and that they had so much to leam. hccording to the Discussion Lxader's Manual for the CAW Women's hctivist Program, participants should: be able to Li& th& own personal cimmstances and expenences to the social/poliacal/economic s u t u of women; undersrandthe bugers k i n g women in the workpkce and in the union, including the s p e c d barriers facing womm of colour, native women. women with disAb+ties, lesbian women, and women of d o u s erhnic background^.'^

The manual emphasiza participation: Pdcipatire or active leaming is more effective than passive leaming. To the extent that it is possible for leamers to chose th& own directions, to dnw on th& own esperience, to discover thùr own leaming resources, to fornulate their own problems, etc. - to the extent learning tends to be mavimized.

Trade union learners will tend to be active, crn&e, effective mernbers and leaders

-.

feminist und such a meeting whue an inteqxeter nns brought in.

'>rC\W-TU, CAW Women's Acfmist Program, Discussion Leaders' Manual CCCcl W Other goals indude knowing how the union c m meet the needs of women worken, knowing the value of a ferninit women's nemrork wïthia the union and community, and feeling more con6dent in the abilin tu play a leadership role.

Mmud') at 2

in th& unions and th& communities, to the extent that these kinds of characteristics are encouraged?

F i l I y , discussion leaders are dLected to vaiidzte p o n d acpuiuice:

As a may of innoduMg [a bniastorming exercke to list barrius to wornen's participation] it will be helphl to mention that the wornen's niovemerit has been criticized for unphasizing personal maners. But our stories are important. They are part of a larger politicai and economic kamtarork. Our personal eacperieaces deepen our poliacal analysis and move us fornard Lito acaon."

Union educaaonals provîde an oppominity for union activists to be exposed to new

ideas and experiences. n i e emphasis on personai cxperîence, once again, provides oppomnities for these actkists to cxpand rheir concept of union membership. This occun

through exposure to, and acceptance of, esperiences other dian their own and through linking their own experience to the "larger politid and econornic framework." lrene

Friend finds it inspiring COconduct these workshops. Ir " is like watching Light bulbs go on."'m This senice that unions provide is priceless, in the changes it b ~ g about s in people,

in the workplace, and in society at Luge.

The workphce itself is the ftindarnmd site for trzulsformation. Transformation at this level is essential beause other fonuns - with the exception of local rnembership

meetings, which tend to be sparseky attended d e s a collective agreement is at issue"^ - are only available to elected represea~tkes,who do not d

e up

the majoaioety of the union

membership. Mu& is achieved through simple discussion between workers o n the shop

flwr, aithough it is probably essential to have the union supporting this "education" process. Irene Friend, who experienced harassrnent ftom the moment she began working at the Chrysler plant in Windsor, takes the approach that she will be patient, and remain constant u n d others corne around:

I tMr of myself as a dripping tap. The message is the svne every &y. 1 say to men that the only way you can stop me is to change yourself, because I am not gorng to change.

This ma- appear to be mule hnded, but Friend needed to be stubborn to achieve her goals while rnainraining her sanitv. For example, it is thmugh nich mule hadedness

that the women in Windsor rnanaged to get pomography removed from the factoq wah by having the union "put management on noace that it owned the w a k , and the porn had to corne dowm." In addition. union stewards and supervisors taiked to d e employees

"In fact, union actbities with respect to the sociecy at k g e are not discussed in this piece, but mmy unions are hriding that commun@ proare an important extension of social unionism. Thus, the UFCW CO-providesnith govenunent English-as-a-second -lariguage aining and cornputer courses (.imte&ew mih Louisette Hinton, UFCW) and CAW representatke Ales Iîtharn links G\W programs to the Native commuairf, providkg, for exampIe, used cornputers to Native o ~ a ü o n s . W h v n Robichaud, CWW.

togedier, to reduce the incidents ofcat ah and other misbehaviouf. Through delivering the same message every &y, "slowly but s t ~ d ythe workplace culture began to change."^^^^

Not dl representatba have experienced positive r d t s Gom diUr efforts. Cvmen

Henry spoke of representatmes who had given up tying to educate members about the need for employment equicg:

When I was ollDng to Irene Hztris when she was here. She said 1 am a wornan who has been abused by the political process, why would 1 want to get invohred in the employment equicg process to get abused - why ay to educate people who are ody resisting, who u e not prepared to change? They are saong with their argument, because diey u e where they want to be, and no matter what lrgument you present in rems of changing their views, they don't want COchange. You lave those people, you have to enjoy a bit of your life, you can't spend yow life trying to change people who don't want to change.'"'

Once again, focussing on individual euperience, instead of uguments, may hotd the greatest p o t e n d for changing attitudes. For example, at the Steveston cannuy, when women started working in men's jobs, some men cuhibited diùt hostiiity by not assisting women who were having difficulv leamiag to use the machines. However, one &y Brodowich said "why don't you starr being men and help this hevoman" - words t h t forccd men ro see things from the point ofvïew of the woman who needed assistance - and they

helped. She reported that a k chat incident, gnduaily, men begiin to help the hevomen and wodt side by side without c o n f i a She &O reports chat management and the union had to

work together. bf aaagement tends to be cooperative in efforts to reduce workplace confict because it has a negatme impact on worker productivity.

with Irene Friend, CAW. f~~~Intentietv ItBz

InteMenr with

C m e n Henry, CUPE.

Pmuasioa is important on the shop noor. Friend was consaous that

ou have to

chose the moment" and %oc pick up on issues when you are angg or upset" Otherwise, the message will not be effective, and an oppominity for r d dialogue MU be missed. Also

important is being open to different perspectives and arguments, which is somethlig that the union ucperience cm teach.

In Brodowich's words:

pithout the union] I woddn't have gonen diis expenence. I used to think that bhck was black and white was white - I was pigheaded as a kid Now o u u n tell me anything. I d listen to 9 sxdes before having an opinion.'"'

Being open to other penpecaves means a c c e p ~ as g valid the tvperiencs of men who are resistant to a changing workforce. Othenvise, as is emphasized Ui the CAW

winkig materiais, there is no r d conversation, only lecnuing, and people just fecl snipid or resentfd Only by gethg to rhe bottom of these men's r d - and olten legirimate concems, such as job security, can these concems be addressed and, hopefully, relieved.

Unions are realizing this. For esample, the CAW has set up a task force to

incemiew members to ascertain wby th& views on workfue, the Harris govemmenc and emplojment equity, are so divergent From chat of the union's leadership. Imtead of qing to lecture the membership on what their r i e w should be, the union feeis that it m u t start

by listening to and levning Gom the perspectives of the rank and file This process itself is a validation of the uxperiences of the nnk and file. Once ?gain, when expenence is emphasùed over rhetonc, the potentid for transfomiation is enhanced. This is not an abdication of leadership. as it dkely lead to leadership dmtegis to address both the concems of the rmjoriry rrnd the minoriaes that the union represents. intemcw wvith Burma Brodowich, L'FAW-

In this section 1 hiive emphasized the potmtisii that simple dialogue holds for aasforming the minciset of wo&ers and union representatives, whether at union meetings,

in educaaonak, or on the shop floor. This transfomildon is difficult to achieve, but the essential to effecrlig mennligful, luring change.

1 have said above chat successhil masures to enhance mînonty participaaoa in

union govemnnce m u t ensure effectire, respoosive representaaon, and counteract majority resistmçe. The e x p k c e of CUPEs Rnkibow Committee in v i m h g sean for visible minori- and A b o n p a l representa&-es on the National Executive Board illusuates how, together, the pracuces of separate organuing, representation, and debate and discussion OC issues go some way to achievhg these goals. The Rvnbour Cornmittee - which includes Abonguial and visible minoriry members - determined dut without this mesure, minonties would nmer ob