Author Archives: Glenn Buchanan

What Does An Accessible Canada Mean To You?

Tuesday, October 11
4:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Italian Cultural Centre: 132 Algoma Street South

Canadians, communities and workplaces benefit when everyone can participate equally in everyday life. There has been much progress in making our society more inclusive, but we can do better.

This is why the Government of Canada is committed to developing new accessibility legislation to promote equality of opportunity and increase the inclusion and participation of Canadians who have disabilities or functional limitations.

The Government of Canada is seeking your ideas for this new legislation, including:

feedback on the overall goal and approach;
whom it should cover;
what accessibility issues and barriers it should address; how it could be monitored and enforced;
when or how often it should be reviewed; how and when to report to Canadians on its implementation; and
how to more generally raise accessibility awareness and support organizations in improving accessibility.

Canadians are encouraged to participate in the local public session or the online consultation by completing the questionnaire in the language of their choice and preferred format such as digital, handwritten, video or audio submissions. Canadians can provide their input online or by telephone, mail, email, fax and TTY. www.canada.ca/accessible-canada

“Working women can’t wait 2 more years for pay equity!”

Thursday October 6, 2016

Ottawa, ON – “Working women can’t wait two more years for pay equity legislation,” said a disgusted Heather Kelley, IAM Grand Lodge Representative and Women’s Rights advocate.

Kelley was speaking about a News Release issued by the Federal Government late yesterday afternoon: “Despite the Federal Government recognizing that pay equity is a human right, their release shows that this human right can wait, explained Kelley. “The government spent the last two years hearing from women across the Country, and we have examples of Provincial Pay Equity plans already working.”

IAM Canadian General Vice President Stan Pickthall concurs: “This report does nothing for working women today; it just doesn’t go far enough. Two more years of waiting for the legislation and then whatever time it will take for implementation.  We know that the Gender Wage Gap is real; will there be retroactivity for working women?”

“The Liberal government’s strategy is very transparent,” said Kelley. “They’re dragging their feet – two years of consultation followed by another two years on how to frame and implement this legislation will bring them to the end of their mandate – providing them with the perfect election platform to attract women voters. It’s manipulation of women’s rights pure and simple.”

The IAM joins the Canadian Labour congress in calling on Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Government to step up now with pro-active pay equity legislation.

“Why,” asks Pickthall. “Because it’s 2016.”