| LOCAL 4266 |
| Policy Letter No.7 Adopted June 02, 1988 Amended August 20, 2009 |
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| HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE |
| Harassment is not a joke. It is cruel and destructive behaviour against others that can have devastating effects. Harassment, by co-workers in particular, is contrary to our basic union principles of solidarity and equality. It is an expression of perceived power and superiority by the harasser(s) over another person, based on their: sex, race, creed, colour, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, religion, political affiliation, or place of origin. Harassment on any of these grounds can be made the basis of a complaint to most provincial and federal human rights commissions. Harassment can be defined as any unwelcome action by any person, in particular, by management, customer, client and\or co-worker, whether verbal or physical, on a single or repeated basis, which humiliates, insults or degrades. It is the responsibility of management to ensure that the workplace is free of harassment. But just leaving the issue up to management is not good enough. Our goal as a union must be to help create a workplace environment free of harassment. That means not only dealing with complaints when they arise, but also watching for instances of harassment and confronting the source. The role of the local union is crucial in combating harassment. If a worker believes that he or she is being harassed at work and wants help, the incident must be brought to the immediate attention of the unit chairperson and the local union president All of us, as union members must challenge harassment whenever it occurs. We must ensure that the dignity of our brothers and sisters is not threatened by harassment. |