ࡱ> _a`5@ -bjbj22 "FXX%PPPPPPPd,4d*76666666$ 8Rr:r6P2226PP65552PP652655}6PP}6  *.4}66 60*7}6:5 :}6ddPPPP:P}6 v#T5d(D,366dd(5 dd(December 10, 2004 The Right Honorable Paul Martin Prime Minister of Canada Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Dear Prime Minister, On the occasion of the 56th anniversary of the United Nations adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we write to ask you to support and promote womens human rights in Canada. We write at this time because we feel deeply betrayed by the recent Supreme Court decision in NAPE v Newfoundland. In that case, the Court ruled that it was justifiable to discriminate against women in order to avoid an impending fiscal crisis. As you are aware, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador signed a pay equity agreement in 1988, acknowledging past discrimination against women working in the health care sector and agreeing to compensate those workers for the pay discrimination. But in 1991, the government cancelled the amounts owed to women for the years 1988 to 1991, and, in addition, imposed a three-year delay on the implementation of pay equity adjustments. It justified this policy by invoking a reduction in federal transfer payments, an impending budget deficit, and a possible loss of credit rating on international financial markets. In total, this policy of the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador cost women $80 million plus interest. This is above and beyond what women had to pay, along with all other workers, because of the Public Sector Wage Restraint Act. In effect, women were forced to bear a disproportionate financial burden for reducing government deficits in this period. This amounts to a special tax on women. The Court's decision poses a threat to women's rights. While the Court did say that these were "exceptional circumstances", we must be concerned that the door will be open to governments and employers pushing to expand the definition of "exceptional". Further, women must be able to enjoy equality in both rich times and poorer ones; in rich provinces and in poorer ones. While the Court's decision focused on the cost of achieving equality, it is crucial to remember the real and damaging cost of inequality that harms women and communities. To demonstrate the commitment of the Government of Canada to womens human rights, we ask two things. First, we ask you to show leadership on the issue of womens entitlement to equality by assisting the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to repay the $80 million debt to women health care workers. We believe that the federal government has a responsibility to advance the equality of all women. We also believe that one of the purposes of transfer payments and equalization payments is to ensure that, no matter in what part of the country women live, we can enjoy conditions of equality. When these payments are cut, we suffer. We ask you to show your commitment to women in every part of Canada by helping the Province of Newfoundland to pay back the debt it owes. Secondly, we ask you to direct officials and lawyers acting for the Government of Canada not to endorse, support or promote the notion that womens human rights can be ignored because of fiscal crisis. In just a few months, April 17 will mark the 20th anniversary of constitutional equality rights in Canada. We hope then to be able to celebrate equality and human rights, not denounce backsliding by our governments and courts. We are counting on you to be an ally in womens fight for justice, dignity and equality. We look forward to your reply. Anglican Church, Diocese of New Westminster, Justice and Peace Unit Assault Response and Care Centre, Brockville, Ontario B.C. Coalition of Womens Centres B.C. Hospital Employees Union B.C. Human Rights Coalition B.C. Teachers Federation, Feminist Caucus Bay St. George Status of Women Council / Womens Centre CALACS La Bme-Gaspsie (Centre d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions caractre sexuel), Qubec CALACS Granby (Centre d'aide et de lutte contre les agressions caractre sexuel), Qubec CALACS Laurentides, Saint-Jrme, Qubec CALACS Rgion Cte Nord, Baie-Comeau, Qubec Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS) Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW Canada) Canadian Federation of Students Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women (CRIAW) Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Cara Transition House, Gander Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodations (CERA) Centre-Femmes de Beauce, Qubec Coalition for Pay Equity, NB Committee Against Violence, Grand Falls Windsor, NL Community Youth Network, St. Johns, NL Congress of Black Women (Manitoba Chapter) Conseil d'intervention pour l'accs des femmes au travail (Montreal, Qubec) Corner Brook Status of Women Council / Womens Centre, NL Corner Brook Transition House, NL Council of Women of Winnipeg, Manitoba Dawson Regional Women's Committee, Dawson, BC Eastern Region Committee Against Violence, NL Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) Fdration des femmes canadiennes-franaises - Section de Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan Fdration des femmes du Qubec (Qubec) Gander Status of Women Council / Womens Centre, NL Gateway Status of Women Council / Womens Centre, Port Aux Basques, NL Grace Sparkes House, Burin Peninsula, NL Grenfell Region Anti-Violence Team Inc., NL Hope Haven Transition House, Labrador West, NL Iris Kirby Transition House, St. Johns, NL Labradorians for Peaceful Communities, NL Langley Teachers Association Le Front commun des personnes assistes sociales du Qubec Les EssentiElles (le groupe qui reprsente les intrts des femmes franco-yukonnaises) Libra House, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL Mokami Status of Women Council / Womens Centre, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, NL Multicultural Womens Organization, NL Naomi Centre, St. Johns, NL National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC) National Anti-Poverty Organization National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) National Council of Women National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) Newfoundland and Labrador Advisory Council on the Status of Women Newfoundland and Labrador AIDS Committee Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour (NLFL) Newfoundland and Labrador Nurses Union (NLNU) Newfoundland and Labrador Sexual Assault Crisis and Prevention Centre Newfoundland Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE) Nipavut Womens Group, Nain, NL Ontario Federation of Labour Ontario Pay Equity Coalition Partenariat communaut en sant (Whitehorse, Yukon) Provincial Association Against Family Violence, NL Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) Public Service Alliance of Canada - BC Regional Coordinating Coalition Against Violence Eastern Avalon, NL Rseau action femmes, Manitoba Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre Seniors Network, BC St. Johns Status of Women Council / Womens Centre The Lantern, St. Johns, NL Toronto Women's Call To Action, Ontario Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights Victoria Faulkner Women's Centre, Whitehorse, Yukon West Coast Womens Legal Education and Action Fund, Whitehorse, Yukon Women in Resource Development Committee, NL Womens Resource Centre, Memorial University of Newfoundland Womenspace Yellowknife Women's Society YWCA Canada New groups adding onto letter, Thursday Dec 9 2004-12-09 Section locale 2745-3 du Syndicat Canadien de la fonction publique (reprsente 75 membres):  HYPERLINK "mailto:philitht@nbed.nb.ca" philitht@nbed.nb.ca Mtis National Council of Women Sheila D. Genaille [president@metiswomen.ca] Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW )Susan Russell [cfuw1@rogers.com] Women's Network PEI: Michelle Ridgway:  HYPERLINK "mailto:wnpei@wnpei.orgt" wnpei@wnpei.org Antigonish Women's Association and Antigonish Women's Resource Centre, Maureen Shebib :  HYPERLINK "mailto:mshebib@stfx.ca" mshebib@stfx.ca CALACS Entre Elles: Calacs entre elles Roberval:  HYPERLINK "mailto:calacs@destination.ca" calacs@destination.ca Native Womens Association of Canada Fdration des travailleurs et travailleuses du Nouveau-Brunswick/New Brunswick Federation of Labour: Blair Doucet, pres.  HYPERLINK "mailto:fttnbfl@nbnet.nb.ca" fttnbfl@nbnet.nb.ca ===================== NAC-B.C. Society Support to Single Parents Inc Egale:  HYPERLINK "mailto:busby@cc.umanitoba.ca" busby@cc.umanitoba.ca Justice for Girls Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario :  HYPERLINK "mailto:kloftus@etfo.org" kloftus@etfo.org CUPE: Maureen Morrison [mmorrison@cupe.ca] Langley Teachers' Association Vancouver Committee for Domestic Workers and Caregivers Rights. ---------------------------------------- Email addresses of organizations who signed Pay Equity Campaign. (I missed the last two signatures in my previous message) jbeeman@ciaft.qc.ca,sbender@napo-onap.ca,calacsgranby@qc.aira.com, raf@raf-mb.org, nicolej@fcpasq.qc.ca,norwald@yahoo.com,riwc@bellnet.ca,lmartin@criaw-icref.ca, arleneh10@hotmail.com,c-femmesbeauce1980@globetrotter.net, sthomas@mb.sympatico.ca, glevesque.calacs09@globetrotter.net, terri@bchrcoalition.org, kpate@web.ca, nikkiw@northwestel.net, csceviour@ofl.ca, anubose@noivmwc.org, prabha@idirect.com, dalev@bgh-on.ca, lepagemaria@hotmail.com, calacs@netc.net, calacsgi@globetrotter.net, dchair@cfs-fcee.ca, elles@yknet.yk.ca, jwestlund@411seniors.bc.ca, mbean@nupge.ca,ducharp@psac-afpc.com,Julie.White@caw.ca, ccaac@istar.ca, Cabinet.Reception@gov.yk.ca, kathy@womenspace.ca 3M" aTUZ\򹫚r򫈚򹫈򚫚*h20J5B*CJOJQJmH phsH #h2B*CJOJQJmH phsH  hMh2CJOJQJmH sH h2CJOJQJmH sH hMh2CJOJQJh26CJOJQJh2CJH*OJQJh2B*CJOJQJphh2OJQJh2CJOJQJh2*3Mg h abWXx$a$$xa$$xa$$a$-/QoU>mA`0\-dh-[:o =iCl3V c dhdh:BC!8"b""#"###$A$$$$$,%-%.%%%%%%%%%̻̥盓p^p^N^hRmh20J5\mH sH "jhRmh20JB*Uph!hRmh20JB*mH phsH hRmh2mH sH  hRmh2hRmh2>* h2CJh2h2B*CJOJQJphh2OJQJ hMh2CJOJQJmH sH h2CJOJQJmH sH hMh2CJOJQJh2CJOJQJhMh2OJQJmH sH  7!w!!!!8"b"""###X#t###$U$$$$$$$$xdhdhdhdh$,%-%.%%%&&k&l&&&&a'c''''(Q(((((())Q)R)`gd2gd2%&j&k&l&&&&&&&&&&&)'*'='L'N'O'P'_'`'a'c''''''''''(¯zmeZh2h2mH sH h2mH sH hRmh20JmH sH #jhRmh2UmH sH jhRmh2UmH sH hRmh2mH sH h@h20Jjh2Ujh2Uh2hRmh2>*B*phjhRmh2Uh2B* mH *ph%F3Mghab W X /QoU>mA`0\-[:o =iCl3V c7w8b#XtU,-.klac Q !!Q!R!d!e!!!!!""X"Y"""""#%%%%%%%%00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000(000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000lc !R!d!e!!!!""#%%%%%%%%Oy00Oy00 @0Oy00Oy00NE(6$Gy00Gy00Gy0 0Gy0 0Gy00Gy00Gy00Gy00Ep5`Ep5`Ep5`@0@0@0@0@0Ep5`Ep5`@0NE(6$ @0 00%(-- "- $R)-!-)O_} !9!O!!!!%XXXXXXXBIIеII@IxIIVI(WI`WIWIWIXII I 0I hI I ISI(TI`TITITIUIxHIHIHI IIXIIIIDPI|PIPIPI$QI\QI KI!KI",LI#dLI$LI%LI& I'DI(|I)I*I+$I, EI-XEI.EI/EI0FI18FI2`K3K4K5L6@L7xL8xI9I:I; I<XI=I>I? 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