I think this notion of negotiating away a human right is really sloganism. We hear it come up regularly. This is not what is intended at all.
We believe that in order to resolve this problem in a bilateral process, both parties have to come to the table to resolve the problem and have to be responsible for resolving it. That doesn't mean we're not interested and we don't believe in the fundamental value of equal pay for work of equal value. We do. But the mechanism that we're required to live within comes under the provisions of the labour laws of Canada and we have to abide by them. We have to negotiate with the unions, we have to effect a collective agreement with them, and they have a say in the way work and pay are allocated; therefore, they have a responsibility, as we do, to ensure that the principles of equal pay for work of equal value, equitable compensation, are achieved in the workplace.