The employment equity legislation requires federal employers or contractors to report on their progress every so many years--I'm not sure, but it may be five years--in building the status of women and in changing the workplace, not just for women, but for minorities, people with disabilities, and aboriginal people.
We're saying that the last report BCMEA gave to the Canadian Human Rights Commission in reporting on its employment equity earned a “D” from the Canadian Human Rights Commission, which is the lowest possible mark you can receive for trying to change the status of women. Not only that, it received the letter grade “L” beside its name, and in the employment equity reporting process, that means this person was late in reporting, without permission, and may well be fined.
That, to me, shows a real disrespect. I went through all the people who were looked at in 2008 and very few got a “D” grade and very few got an “L”. So I'm worried that this employer is not concerned about women. I'm worried that women will suffer in this process if we don't get together, stop this war, and start building some pragmatic solutions to change the status of women on the waterfront.