Status of Women committee  It's a good question. There are a number of answers to that, and I'll give you two. First of all, the model you're suggesting proposes a false dichotomy. You're suggesting that unless pay equity is constrained and confined to the collective bargaining process, the union isn't i

Status of Women committee  Absolutely. You've identified many of the key concerns about the individual complaints process--or some of the key concerns. The information that is required to advance a pay equity claim is very complex, requires expert assistance, and is also generally not available to workers.

Status of Women committee  That's an extremely broad question. It sounds like Margot wanted to jump in.

Status of Women committee  I don't think there's any question that unions have played a very important role in protecting and advancing the rights of workers, but unions have been somewhat less successful in dealing with the inequities within the.... Unions are made up of people, and if you have the vast m

Status of Women committee  I would add to that, as I indicated in my initial statement, that when you have a marginalized group of workers, whether they're immigrant workers or aboriginal workers, and you don't have a regime that's actively working to address the discrimination they experience in the workp

Status of Women committee  [Inaudible--Editor]...the question. Is this process less efficient than the pay equity task force--

Status of Women committee  --and less fair? Yes, it is, in so many respects, in the respects identified in the various statements today. Yes, it is less fair, but it's hard to know where to even begin with the question, because fundamentally the PSECA is not about addressing or redressing discrimination ag

Status of Women committee  I would just note that the suggestion that the court challenges program has benefited only lawyers is extremely controversial, and perhaps even outrageous. The court challenges program is separate from the pay equity issue in the sense that if a proactive pay equity regime, consi

Status of Women committee  I don't have them available, but I'm not sure why the comparator would be aboriginal women to aboriginal men when aboriginal men are also subject to discrimination on the basis of race.

Status of Women committee  It's not clear if it will ever get to the board, particularly if it has to get there by way of individual complaints.

Status of Women committee  My understanding is that it's not specified.

Status of Women committee  As you know, two constitutional challenges to the legislation have already been filed.

Status of Women committee  Oh, sorry. One was by the Public Service Alliance of Canada and one was by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. So that litigation is already under way. I agree with you; if there isn't legislative change, those cases will wend their way through the court

Status of Women committee  That's correct.

Status of Women committee  No.