Mr. Solheim, who is director of finance for the Kitsaki Development Corporation, put forward the view that seniority reflects a cultural bias that discriminates against Aboriginal people, women, and the poor. Their article is set out below. We believe the article Seniority and systemic discrimination by Al Solheim in a recent Equity Forum newsletter deserves a response.
Unions recognize that seniority and employment equity are complex issues.
At the same time, however, we do not believe seniority rights of workers can be tossed aside without carefully weighing the pluses and minuses involved in these issues. Many aspects of employment equity are not affected by seniority. As well, some aspects of employment equity can impact positively on seniority. It must be conceded, as Mr. Solheim claims, that seniority is an issue that has to be addressed vis a vis employment equity. Not easy questions to answer.