On the eve of International Human Rights Day, the Alliance learned today that the Supreme Court of Canada has declined to hear its appeal against the Province of Ontario's repeal of provincial employment equity laws.

This disappointing result ends a spirited struggle through the courts and in the public arena which began four years ago. In December of 1995, the newly-elected Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris repealed several laws aimed at correcting the under-representation of racial minorities, persons with disabilities, Aboriginal people, and women in Ontario's workplaces.

The Alliance for Employment Equity, representing hundreds of community and labour groups who support mandatory measures to eliminate discrimination in employment, filed suit immediately. We believe that governments must not be allowed to repeal laws that protect human rights. Many groups lined up with us in our position that such repeal violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Lawyers Mark Hart, Chile Eboe-Osuji and Barbara Bedont argued the case. Among the groups which intervened at the Court of Appeal in support of our claim are the African Canadian Legal Clinic, the Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), DisAbled Women's Network (Ontario), the Congress of Black Women (Toronto Chapter) and the Ontario Federation of Labour. .

We deeply regret that the Supreme Court has chosen not to consider this important case which address the protection of the rights of groups which face disadvantage. Although the Charter is often used to protect large corporations, equity-seeking groups have had much less success in using it to protect equality rights.

The opposition that the Conservatives whipped up against so-called "quotas" was angry and hurtful, but in the end, meaningless. There were no quotas in the law. The federal government brought in an EE law in 1996 nearly identical legislation to the repealed provincial law. It currently applies to nearly one million employees in Ontario, including universities and large corporations with contracts with the federal government. The federal EE law has not caused upheaval in workplaces, nor has it led to charges of discrimination. Employers realize that it makes sense to identify and remove practices which block utilization of the full talent pool available, and employees and unions are glad to be part of the process.

The Alliance for Employment Equity continues to hold the provincial government responsible for dismantling programs which help equity-seeking groups. The government has done nothing to remove obstacles in employment, despite a promise to introduce substitute legislation. Recently, the government was forced to commit to bring in long-awaited law to remove barriers faced by persons with disabilities. We are now waiting to see the government bring forward a meaningful Ontarians with Disabilities Act.

REPORT ON THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Annual General Meeting of the Alliance for Employment Equity was held on November 17, 1999.

Our Guest Speaker was Judy Rebick. Judy is currently the host of CBC TV program, Straight from
the Hip. She was also the founding chair of the Alliance for Employment Equity. In her
presentation, she described the history of the Alliance, and its role in the days before any employment equity legislation in the country.

Judy also talked about how the struggle for employment equity got started, how we might have
been more effective in organizing in support of the principles of legislated equity programs,
and why our struggle is relevant today.

At the meeting, a new Board of Directors was elected, with a number of new, dynamic members. To see the members of the new board, click here.

The session, jointly sponsored by the Alliance for Employment Equity and a research project
directed by Queen's University professors Drs. Abigail B. Bakan and Audrey Kobayashi,
included a discussion of employment equity policy and implementation in the public sector
across Canada. A lively discussion and exchange of experiences followed the presentation.

Brian Dagdick, Director of British Columbia's Equity and Diversity Division,
Public Service Employee Relations Commission, gave an excellent overview of the process
and content of employment equity implementation for the public service of that province.

Daina Green and Barbara Bedont provided an update of the fight against the provincial
government's repeal of employment equity legislation in Ontario. They discussed the issues
underlying the Charter Challenge and the impact of this struggle on public debate over equity programs.

e-mail: allforee@web.net

NDP News: Call for action to stop racism and hate crimes
Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1999 15:34:14 -0400

Anti-Racism
NDP Press Release
September 13, 1999
Queen's Park
Immediate Release

Hampton Calls for Action
To Stop Racism and Hate Crimes

Toronto - An apparently racist attack on a family home in Cambridge is
the latest incident to highlight the Conservative government's
abandonment of its responsibility to fight racism and hate crimes, NDP
Leader Howard Hampton said today.

"The Harris government has shown no interest in stopping racism and hate
crimes," Hampton said.

The Parekh family in Cambridge found their home under attack at 1 a.m.
on Sept. 7, with front windows shattered, eggs splattered on the walls
and the word "Pakis" spray painted on their garbage.

In other recent incidents, two elderly Jewish men were brutally beaten
in Toronto and a Muslim woman was abused and refused entry on a Toronto
Transit Commission bus because she refused to take off her veil. The TTC
policy has since been changed.
Rather than show leadership in the fight against discrimination, the
Harris government has closed the Anti-Racism Branch of the Ministry of
Education, eliminated the Employment Equity Commission and eliminated
requirements that school boards review their policies and procedures on
anti-racist and ethnocultural issues.
"Everyone in Ontario has the right to be safe, free of discrimination,
racism and hate crimes." Hampton said. "The Harris government must
introduce tough legislation on racism, discrimination and hate crimes or
innocent victims will continue to suffer."

In the 1990s the New Democratic government introduced legislation on
addressing discrimination, hate crimes, and racism. The past NDP
government also appointed a new Assistant Deputy Minister of education
to follow-up the implementation of anti-racism and mulicultural policies
in the schools boards of Ontario.

"The Harris government has done nothing to end discrimination and has
revoked policies and departments that address issues of discrimination,
racism and hate crimes."

For more information, please contact Dianne Barham at (416) 325-7334.
Visit the Ontario NDP's Web Site at http://www.ontariondp.on.ca/

May 20,1999

Toronto - A Supreme Court ruling confirming the rights and responsibilities of gay and lesbian families fits with NDP policy, Leader Howard Hampton said to-day.

"The court has upheld what our party is committed to: that gays and lesbians can and do form families and have rights, but also responsibilities to support each other," said Hampton.

The case in question involves a lesbian woman who applied for partition and sale of house as well as support under the Family Law Act, after a 12-year relationship ended. In 1996 the Ontario Court General Division ruled that section 29 of the Act is of no force and effect and that "two persons" be substituted for "spouse" in section 29 of the Family Law Act. The province appealed, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the lower court decision, and the Ontario Government appealed again, to the Supreme Court.

As of April 1, 1999, we are in a new home.
Our new address is:

Our new phone is: 416-538-2329, and our new fax is: 416-538-6737.We are sharing space with the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care. It is a good home for us for now. However, we must still deal with the fact that our new premises are NOT accessible for people with mobility restrictions.

We were amazed to find how few places are accessible, especially in our price range. This means that we that we have temporarily moved from one non-accessible space to another! This is not ideal for an organization which advocates for accessibility.

We hope to take steps to make be in an accessible office as soon as possible.