Harassment Policy

Submitted by ryan on Thu, 04/13/2006 - 7:09pm.

Do any branches have policies or bylaws dealing with harassment?
Thanks,
Ryan

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mick Says:
Thu, 01/03/2008 - 5:17pm

I was going through some email list archives and came across this policy. Apparently it was passed union-wide by the GEB in September 2006.

Edmonton IWW GMB Anti-Harassment Policy

Preamble:
The Edmonton IWW General Membership Branch, in keeping with the
principles and beliefs of our organization, is committed to a just
world. Justice includes the ability of all individuals to feel safe
and protected while in the company of IWW members. We have developed a
policy intended to prevent harassment of any type and to deal quickly
and effectively with any incident that might occur.

Harassment of IWW members can occur any place where more than
one member is gathered. This includes branch meetings, and formal and
informal social events. Harassment is not limited to members'
inappropriate behavior to other members; it also includes members'
behavior towards non-members.

From the point of branch adoption of this policy forward, there
will be no statute of limitations on harassment complaints.

Harassment occurs when an individual is subjected to unwelcome
verbal or physical conduct because of reasons including but not
limited to race, religious beliefs, colour, place of origin, gender
identity, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, age,
ancestry, marital status, and/or family status.

Examples of harassment which will not be tolerated are: verbal
or physical abuse, threats, bullying, derogatory remarks, malicious
jokes, innuendo or taunts about any member's appearance, religious
beliefs, colour, place of origin, sexual orientation, mental or
physical abilities, ancestry, marital status, family status, or gender
identity. The Edmonton IWW also will not tolerate the display of
pornographic, racist or offensive signs or images; malicious practical
jokes that result in awkwardness or embarrassment; or unwelcome
invitations or requests, whether indirect or explicit.

All harassment is offensive and in many cases it intimidates
others. Harassment will not be tolerated by the Edmonton IWW.

Definition of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a violation of this policy. Unwanted sexual
advances, unwanted requests for sexual favours, and other unwanted
verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual
harassment whether such conduct is made either explicitly or
implicitly.

Sexual harassment can include such things as pinching, patting,
rubbing or leering, "dirty" jokes, pictures or pornographic materials,
comments, suggestions, innuendoes, requests or demands of a sexual
nature. The behaviour need not be intentional in order to be
considered sexual harassment.

Policy:

1. Tell the harasser his/her behaviour is unwelcome and ask him/her to
stop. If you do not feel comfortable speaking to your harasser about
the incident, report the incident to a branch Delegate, a member of
the Conflict Mediation Committee (CMC), or the Branch Secretary
(hereafter referred to as the Officer) as soon as possible. S/he will
facilitate the completion of an official complaint form that will be
kept as documentation of the incident for reference during the course
of the investigation, but the report will be destroyed at the end of
either conflict mediation or charges.

2. The Officer will arrange a confidential meeting with the
complainant in which they will decide whether or not to follow the
charges procedure under Article III of the constitution or the
Conflict Mediation Procedure under Article XIV of the constitution.
The Officer will also provide information on Victims services. If the
Conflict Mediation Procedure is chosen, and the complainant desires
anonymity, members of the CMC shall meet with the accused without
identifying the complainant.

3. If Conflict Mediation is pursued and the accused refuses to attend
the meeting, or conciliation is not reached through bad faith on the
part of the accused this process can move to Charges as outlined under
Article III of the Constitution.

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mick Says:
Sun, 01/06/2008 - 6:58pm

double post

»

mick Says:
Sun, 01/06/2008 - 6:57pm

Here's the Portland IWW Safer Spaces Policy.

A Union That Will Respect ALL its Members . . .

The Portland GMB recently passed a safer space policy, the text of which is below. In
the coming month, branch members will be voting in a referendum to include the policy
in our by-laws.

A safer space policy in and of itself is no instant guarantee that racism, sexism, etc. will
be eliminated from our union’s culture. Instead, Portland Wobs recognize that confronting
oppressive behavior in the union is an ongoing process, and that it often takes
a lot of courage to call someone out on it. The IWW must adopt methods to accommodate
workers with children, for example, who statistically tend to be wage-earning
women. If we aren’t always assessing our level of inclusiveness amongst all segments
of the working class, the majority composite of our active membership will continue to
exist in stasis as is; white men.

Portland Wobs hope that other branches will read our safer space policy and begin
holding discussions about developing such a policy for their group. If you have any
questions, or would like to speak with some of the women who developed the safer
space policy, please contact the Portland branch: http://pdx.iww.org.
In solidarity,
Ryan G.
Portland GMB

Portland IWW GMB, Safer Space Policy

The IWW is a union committed to the emancipation of the working class. The
working class is diverse and as a union we realize that oppression is many
layered. As such, we strive to keep our common places free from oppressive
action, behavior, and language.

These oppressive actions and words include, but are not limited to: racism;
sexism, homophobia; and any expression of disrespect and/or intolerance of
size, gender identity, physical ability, education level, cultural background, or
political ideology (as long as such ideology does not conflict with the IWW
Constitution). We want to learn from and educate each other. We will each be
responsible for addressing these issues in ourselves and others. This policy
is not about censorship, but rather opening a dialog in a respectful way.

If a member feels like this policy is in violation, and is uncomfortable bringing
this up personally, they are encouraged to seek an ally of their choosing to
advocate for them. In a meeting, a person can ask for a point of personal
privilege to take a break and discuss this with necessary parties. The chair
should be conscious of this policy, and address issues as they arise. Further,
space shall be defined as any meeting, event, or listserve that is IWW sponsored.

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