Female engineers file human rights complaint against BC Ferries over lack of private change rooms
Union rep says women have to walk through men's change room to access private toilets
Female engineers at BC Ferries have filed a human rights complaint over a lack of private spaces to change in and out of their work clothing on the lower decks of ferries.
The lawsuit, filed with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of 16 women, alleges that the lack of proper facilities contributes to "a climate of harassment and bullying of women" at BC Ferries.
"There have been women working in engineering for the last 30 years, and they still don't have safe and private places to change into their coveralls or use the bathroom," explained Adrienne Smith, a Vancouver-based lawyer representing the employees.
"Often they are changing in storage areas or machine spaces, and these areas don't have a door that can be locked or even closed while women engineers are changing."
The engineering representative for the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers' Union says there are toilets available, but one would have to walk through the space where the men change in order to access them.
"[Women] get changed behind electrical panels, sometimes they change with the men, if they're comfortable doing that," Laurence Spencer explained in an interview on CBC's All Points West. "Sometimes, even if they're not comfortable doing it, there's no other choice."
Spencer, who has worked with women in the engine room for three decades, says the issue of privacy came up 15 years ago but was never resolved.
The union has recently been in talks with BC Ferries over the issue, but Spencer says the lawsuit was filed when communication stopped.
"Every day that our women are having to go through this, their human rights are being violated," he stated. "By me knowing that this is happening and by doing nothing, I'm culpable as well, so I couldn't stand by."
In a statement, BC Ferries says it hopes to resolve the issues internally.
"We will cooperate fully with any investigation," reads the statement. "While that is taking place and we work to resolve the matter, we will be unable to comment further, given it is a personnel matter and for reasons of privacy."
Spencer believes the lack of private spaces is a deterrent to other women who may want to work at BC Ferries.
"If we made it more appealing. More inviting for everybody. Then we would be having engineers knock down our doors to come and work here."
He says BC Ferries could take immediate action by making sure that ships currently being built have appropriate spaces for women before coming into service.
The tribunal has not yet decided whether it will hear the case. In the meantime, discussions between the union and BC Ferries are ongoing.