March 13, 2008
News release
PSAC to appeal Federal Court pay equity decision
OTTAWA – The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) is taking a quarter century-old pay equity complaint to the Federal Court of Appeal. The complaint involves about 6,000 current and former clerical workers at Canada Post. The union is reacting to a lower court decision issued in February that essentially overturned an award made by a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in October 2005.
PSAC National President John Gordon announced the decision to appeal at a national bargaining conference being held in Ottawa with members of PSAC's Union of Postal Communications Employees component who are employed by Canada Post.
“We believe the Federal Court's decision is flawed and there are strong grounds for an appeal,” said Gordon. “Some aspects of the decision are contradictory while others ignore the roles and authority of both the Tribunal and the Canadian Human Rights Commission.”
Gordon assured the members that the union will continue fighting for pay equity. “We will continue our battles in court, whenever we need to. But we're also committed to working to have proactive pay equity laws enacted so that future generations of women will not have to wait decades for economic justice.”
The fact that this complaint is at the quarter-century mark was also not lost on the Federal Court justice who commented in his decision that the length of the Tribunal hearing alone was wrong, unreasonable and offended the public conscience.
“Unfortunately, as a result of this decision, PSAC members now will have to wait even longer for their pay equity adjustments and interest,” says Gordon.
The Tribunal decision awarded approximately $150 million in adjustments and interest, half of what the union calculates was actually owed.
Canada Post had appealed the Tribunal's decision within minutes of its being released in 2005. PSAC then filed a cross-appeal against the Tribunal's decision to discount the award by 50%. The case was heard in 2007 and the Federal Court released its decision on February 21, 2008. PSAC filed the original pay equity complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission in 1983.
For information:
Joselito Calugay, PSAC Communications
613-560-4235 or cell no. 613-293-9324
12-140308
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Date Modified : 2008/07/30
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