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Author Topic: Buzz Hargrove: Sexism Plagues Canadian Politics
robbie_dee
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posted 25 May 2005 05:12 PM      Profile for robbie_dee     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
quote:
A clear barometer of the democratic deficit is the gross under-representation of women in elected public office. Women make up 52% of the population, but hold only 21% of the seats in the House of Commons. At a time when women around the world are making electoral breakthroughs, here in Canada women have been stalled for more than a decade. Canada stands 31st among world democracies, behind Turkmenistan, Tanzania and Vietnam, according to Equal Voice, an all-party advocacy group working to elect more women.

So it is with frustration and sadness that Canadians this week witnessed the spectacle of the attacks against Belinda Stronach. Clearly there are polarized views about her decision to switch from the Conservatives to the Liberal party. Some reacted with glee, some with relief, some with outrage, almost all with shock.

Stronach would have known that her actions would provoke serious criticism from some quarters. But the sexist name-calling hurled at her was a disgraceful throwback to a time most of us thought had long ago, and deservedly, ended.


Read the rest: National Post 05/24/05

This is interesting, both because of the topic and also because of the source.

[ 25 May 2005: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]


From: Iron City | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Brandon
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posted 25 May 2005 07:22 PM      Profile for Brandon     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
I (being male) do not think sex is important in politics not today and not in Canada i do not look at the gender or race of the person i vote for because i know that the system dose not work the way it is set up to work. each area was meant to have a voice in Ottawa but now each mp/mpp just votes how the party tells them to vote and that takes any personal attributes away from politics
From: Delta North BC Canada | Registered: May 2005  |  IP: Logged
robbie_dee
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posted 25 May 2005 07:53 PM      Profile for robbie_dee     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
What I really hoping to look at here was the fact that Buzz Hargrove's union bargains with Belinda Stronach's corporation - Magna. I do think that a lot of the attacks against Stronach by Conservative supporters, i.e. calling her a "whore" etc. because she defected to the Liberals, are at least partly motivated by sexism. Even if in the broader sense, the notion of a "whore" as a person who sells their dignity for a price is in fact an epithet that might otherwise be applicable to a number of politicians, both male and female.

Anyway, a number of writers have spoken up to condemn the attacks against Stronach. Buzz Hargrove has now joined this chorus. But is Hargrove doing so solely because of his staunch antisexist beliefs, or is he hoping to get something for his members by showing support for their boss?


From: Iron City | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
Noelle
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posted 25 May 2005 08:32 PM      Profile for Noelle     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
Magna is not a union shop, so Buzz had nothing to gain. The CAW us a long time advocate of woman’s rights.

Edited to add; Not to nitpick, but Buzz's bosses are the dues paying members.
[ 25 May 2005: Message edited by: Noelle ]

[ 25 May 2005: Message edited by: Noelle ]


From: Ontario | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
cco
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posted 25 May 2005 08:40 PM      Profile for cco     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
quote:
At a time when women around the world are making electoral breakthroughs, here in Canada women have been stalled for more than a decade. Canada stands 31st among world democracies, behind Turkmenistan, Tanzania and Vietnam, according to Equal Voice, an all-party advocacy group working to elect more women.

Since when are Turkmenistan and Vietnam democracies?


From: Montréal | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged
Kinetix
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posted 25 May 2005 08:54 PM      Profile for Kinetix     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
1992 and the 1970s, respectively. While Vietnam has been consistantly ruled by the communist party for a significant period of time, that government is elected in a democracy.

Whether or not those democracies are equitably structured, accessible, and fair, I do not know, although I do know that even our own system does not meet those requirements.


From: Montréal, Québec | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged
robbie_dee
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posted 25 May 2005 09:14 PM      Profile for robbie_dee     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
Windsor, November 10, 2001: CAW Ratifies First Contract at Magna

quote:
After 14 years of struggle, the workers at Magna Corporation's Integram plant in Windsor are now full members of the Canadian Auto Workers with a three year contract. Despite being a first contract, the agreement included major gains in wages and was ratified by 86 per cent of the workers. CAW Local 444 President Ken Lewenza said the wage gains were significant.

"Just look at the first year, a 5 per cent wage increase, second three, third three. The average wage increase in the Province of Ontario today is around 2.2 per cent and that's without signing bonuses and that's without retroactive pay.

"So when you add up the total amount of money that we put into this collective agreement, it is around 16 per cent in terms of additional labour costs to Magna so this is a significant economic agreement that we have presented our members today."

The CAW and Magna agreed to suspend their fight at the Labour Board over the union certification of the workers. In order to get to the bargaining table, the bargaining committee agreed to a no strike no lockout provision. While that slowed down the bargaining, Lewenza said it didn't effect the quality of the settlement.



From: Iron City | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged
cco
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posted 25 May 2005 09:21 PM      Profile for cco     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
quote:
Originally posted by Kinetix:
1992 and the 1970s, respectively. While Vietnam has been consistantly ruled by the communist party for a significant period of time, that government is elected in a democracy.

Whether or not those democracies are equitably structured, accessible, and fair, I do not know, although I do know that even our own system does not meet those requirements.


You're kidding, right? Neither country allows opposition parties. Turkmenistan has a cult of personality around Saparmurat Niyazov (who also ran the country when it was the Turkmen SSR under the Soviet Union) that would have made Stalin blush. Vietnam and Turkmenistan rank 161st and 164th respectively (out of 167) on the RSF press freedom index. Both sit on Freedom House's "worst of the worst" list next to Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, and Myanmar.

The Canadian "democratic deficit" is in another category altogether.


From: Montréal | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged
Noelle
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posted 25 May 2005 09:53 PM      Profile for Noelle     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
Robbie Dee; I had forgotten about the Windsor plant, a first step for the CAW.

quote:
Magna has no union presence at more than 60 plants in Canada. However, the United Auto Workers represents employees at some company operations in the United States

http://tinyurl.com/7gpkk


From: Ontario | Registered: Apr 2004  |  IP: Logged
Kinetix
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posted 25 May 2005 10:26 PM      Profile for Kinetix     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
Heh, you are of course right, cco. You and I of course know that elections don't equal democracy and there's a lot more to it than that. The original authors of this document, however, are not considering the democratic status of their parliament, but rather the percentage of women involved.
From: Montréal, Québec | Registered: Mar 2004  |  IP: Logged
robbie_dee
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posted 25 May 2005 11:09 PM      Profile for robbie_dee     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post
Thanks for the link, Noelle. Giving up the right to strike for six years is a pretty big concession. Although in light of Magna's union-busting efforts it may have been worth it to get their foot in the door.

I realize that the CAW has strong policies on women's rights. But still, the situation with Stronach is an interesting one for a union to get involved in. Now that Buzz is making all nice, I hope that the CAW will be getting something in return...

[ 25 May 2005: Message edited by: robbie_dee ]


From: Iron City | Registered: Apr 2001  |  IP: Logged

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