Judgment of the Court
The judgment of the Court was delivered by
Lack of Definitive Executive Management Commitment
Top management's interest on the issue of women has not been communicated effectively nor have direct actions demonstrated their concern. The majority of managers are understandably perplexed regarding the current and future role of women within CN. CN managers across the system await a definitive policy statement with specific action programs. Executive management must commit themselves to begin to encourage their subordinates to change the environment to one which truly provides equal opportunity. They must convince both men and women that a special emphasis program is needed to utilize the talents of CN women. These actions must begin now in order to assure CN of a new, qualified management resource in the future.
2.Traditional beliefs by managers and women in the many negative myths and stereotypes about working women
Our interviews revealed a disturbing degree of negative attitudes resulting in obvious discriminatory behavior. For example, the majority of women seeking employment are channeled into secretarial positions, whereas, men are guided toward clerical positions which most often lead to promotions to higher level clerical jobs and/or middle management positions. In job bidding situations, women are frequently strongly discouraged from bidding on traditional men's job. Until the negative environment that these attitudes create is improved, equal opportunity for women will never occur.
3.Current personnel policies and procedures
These policies are limited and ineffective as they relate to the majority of women at CN.
The Report revealed that in the early 1970s women workers comprised one third of the total
[Page 1120] labour force in Canada, holding 14.3 per cent of managerial positions, 41.2 per cent of professional and technical positions, and 72 per cent of all clerical jobs nation-wide. In contrast to the national employment statistics, women constituted approximately 4 per cent of the total CN work force and held less than 0.5 per cent of the senior management jobs.
The attitudes of male personnel at CN towards women were reviewed extensively in the Report. Examples follow:
1. "Women are generally disruptive to the work-force."
"Women aren't tough enough to handle supervisory jobs. They fail miserably under pressure."
"The best jobs for women are coach cleaners—That's second nature to them."
"One big problem adding women to train crews would be policing the morals in the cabooses."
Work in the yards is too physically demanding. The weather is too harsh."
"Women cannot do the physical aspects of a CN conductor's job.There's too much handling of drunks, transients and undesirables."
"Women have no drive, no ambition, no initiative."
"A woman can't combine a career and family responsibilities."
"The 'old boy network' for promotions is very strong at CN. This naturally inhibits women's advance ment."
"My department is all male—they don't want a woman snooping around."
"Railroading is a man's sport—there's no room for women."
"Unless I'm forced, I won't take a woman."