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THIS DOCUMENT IS
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MINUTES OF THE
TNG-CWA Human Rights and Equity Committee
October 17,
2009
PRESENT: Carl
Younger, Chair; Vernon Clark, Ka Yan Ng, Vincent Proteau.
Melissa Nelson, TNG-CWA Director of Collective Bargaining; Sheila
Lindsay, Chair SEC HRE Committee; Arnold Amber, Director, CWA-SCA
Canada; Carol Rothman, Secretary-Treasurer.TNG-CWA.
ABSENT: Natalie Hill, Matt Olson, Yoko Kuramoto-Eidsmoe, Tiffany
Heath
MINUTES PREPARED BY
Carl Younger.
The committee discussed and approved the demographic survey and
letter to employers that will be presented to the upcoming
district council meetings. The survey will allow us to compare
company staffing with the demographics of the communities they
serve. Canadian HREC members: Ka Yan and Vincent won’t be at the
Canadian meetings so Arnold will present. Carl has approval to
present the information and proposal to the NEDC Sat. Nov. 14th.
Carol Rothman said that she and Bernie Lunzer would be attending
all meetings and can assist where a committee member cannot
attend. Carl will send an email asking who will and will not
attend meetings.
Younger suggested
the committee discuss how we wanted the actual work of compiling
and comparing the data. Sheila Lindsey said that she discussed our
proposal at an executive committee meeting and they suggested that
the draft letter to employers state the individual local request
the following information instead of the Newspaper Guild also
Sheila said that we could take advantage of the Guild’s research
department to research, compile and compare demographic data on
request.
Melissa explained
that the research department is CWA not Guild and suggests we
formulate a request for work to Louise Novotny the head of that
department.
Carol said she would
forward the request for the committee. Carl Younger and Sheila
Lindsey will collaborate on the request.
Sheila Lindsey
reported on the SEC meeting and explained the liaison group to the
HREC’s role is to take information from the HREC, bring to the SEC
and support work of the Human Rights and Equity committee. Sheila
continued that it was discussed that each member of the Human
Rights and Equity committee should be members of other Guild
committees: Collective Bargaining, Organizing, Training, Next Gen
etc. to insure our mission continues and to keep diversity in
every conversation. It was also discussed at the SEC that a SEC
board seat for diversity should be made available and staffed with
a Human Rights and Equity person.
Carl asked were they
considering filling the seat from the HREC or from the member ship
at large.
Sheila replied from
the membership.
Arnold Amber said
this has been done in Canada requiring bylaw changes.
Carl asked are these
proposed seats honorary.
Arnold replied no
and continued stating that if the type of work this committee is
doing is going to survive in the Guild we need a full time Equity
seat. Arnold continued to explain that many continuing programs
are the result of the creation of staff positions in the Guild and
that the union needs to attract beyond the majority and be more
relevant to our communities if we are to survive. Arnold continued
stating that the most important work is done by elected officers
and that Canada has created positions for an education/training,
Equity, and Next Gen. Person. Portfolios lead to action and he
can’t understand why there would be any pushback on this. Arnold
stated that he talked a lot at SEC about what the new Guild will
look like and that roots have to be really strong to get this as a
primary objective
Carol discussed the
ethnic composition of the SEC and said that everyone stood up for
equality and that point should not be lost.
Arnold expressed
concern that the composition could be temporary without a staff
advocate to supply more direction.
Sheila said that
hiring policy was raised at the SEC and that we should be well
versed for next sector conference.
It was agreed that
this conversation should be continued in our next and future HREC
meetings.
Melissa said she
would send a link to the leading edge survey to all committee
members.
Younger suggested
that we have a Human Rights component at the new local officer’s
seminar. Sheila said she and Tiffany are local and could attend.
Younger suggested that it would be good if they could explain what
the HREC is about and request that new officer consider looking at
their membership to for future HREC members.
Sheila reminded the
committee that we have not had a human rights column in the Guild
reporter lately. Vernon said he has an idea for an article and
photos for our web site.
Carol informed us
that the Reporter is no longer published monthly but the web site
is updated daily and information can be submitted for the web.
It was proposed that
our next meeting should be on Thursday evening at 7PM. November 19th
Adjourned 2:07pm
eastern.
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AVAILABLE IN ADOBE PDF BY CLICKING HERE
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