Initially this program was brought on in the 1990s. A study was done to address the barriers for women. As we know, in Ontario we lost equity, but we still said that's important. As the labour movement, that's still very important to the Canadian Auto Workers, who have women.... And remember, it's non-traditional to work in the automotive sector itself. We still aren't 50% of the population. It's like 25% of the population, just to work as a production worker.
Now even to have access to non-traditional occupations within the actual automotive industry, to allow us to have even higher pay.... The negotiated pay for the women on the production line is very good, a decent wage with benefits, but of course as a skilled tradesperson, there were other things that we were looking for and I was looking for. I was looking for portability of skills. I was looking forward to being able to use my mind and my hands versus the production where it was all physical. And of course the pay is increased because of it.
Through the CAW we have not only done the 40-hour women's skilled trades and technology awareness program, but we have evaluation at the end of every program. Through those programs we have evolved this program over the last nine years. Well, we actually have delivered it ten times, twice in one year.
We've evolved this program into what it is today, the hands-on workshops, the being able to--they're actually drilling and cutting and sawing and soldering. We have them actually physically going and doing things. Some people have never picked up a drill in their lives. We show them how to hold it. In the robotics, we wire a light switch and receptacle.
All of these hands-on projects certainly transfer to the women the idea that while they couldn't do it before, suddenly right there is instant gratification. We bring them step by step, which is acquired knowledge. The whole trade is acquired knowledge. We tell them this is acquired knowledge. Nobody knows how to be an electrician at the beginning of the process. That is why it takes 9,000 hours.
It's a step-by-step process that, given time, given some support system--which the CAW does provide--given the opportunity.... They negotiate for the actual numbers in the plants to actually put women in there and give opportunities, and then of course we have wage parity. That's huge. So there are lots of opportunities. It would be very beneficial to work with more unions that are addressing equality rights for both men and women.