York University Office of the Ombudsman and the Centre for Human Rights

Nasty rumour has it that all of the staff excepting Fiona Crean are gone from this office, as of Friday 22 April 2005 . We would have expected that the University would have announced that action in the Y-Files by now.

Does this action violate the many/any of the Collective Agreements at York as they refer to this office?

CUPE Local 1356 Article/clause:

3.08 The University recognizes its responsibility to provide a workplace free from sexual, gender, or racial harassment or discrimination. If an employee feels so harassed and needs to seek recourse other than with supervisory staff or a Union Steward, there exists at the University the Centres for Race and Ethnic Relations and Sexual Harassment whose mandate includes the development of policies and procedures consistent with the Human Rights Code.
Information on policies and procedures are available through the above mentioned offices or can upon request, be made available through supervisory staff or a Union Steward.

For purposes of this article the definitions of harassment shall be consistent with the Human Rights Code in force at the signing of this agreement.

The noted office has been changing lately with a new location and some newer personnel the current office has substantially been the same as the one in the collective agreement clause.

If the staffing has been let go we may have lost a great deal of the experience that an office of this type would need to be able to draw upon to appropriately handle matters.

Our union office has already felt the impact of the dismissals - in only three business days!