Sixty postal workers at the Commercial Drive postal station walked off the job temporarily Thursday and refused to handle a 28-page brochure that they say is anti-homosexual hate literature.
Canada Post spokeswoman Lillian Au says the unaddressed ad mail meets the corporation's guidelines and that the item will be delivered to Vancouver homes Friday and Monday.
"We don't have specific guidelines for hate literature," Au said. "It was approved by the corporation and was not deemed sexually explicit or obscene."
"We don't have the right to censor the mail. It is not our place to do that. We have to deliver that particular piece of mail. We are bound by the Charter of Rights, which guarantees freedom of religious expression."
Union local president Ken Mooney says that he has received assurances from Canada Post managers that Canadian Union of Postal Workers members will not be asked to deliver the brochure.
"I won't be surprised if managers take it out, but it won't be the letter carriers," Mooney said.
Not so, says Au.
"It is scheduled to be delivered. It will be delivered," Au said. "It is business as usual. That piece of mail is scheduled to go out."
The corporation has until Monday to deliver the brochure under contract with their client. That contract does not include placing the item in an envelope, she said.
The booklet was produced by the Fundamental Baptist Mission of Waterford, Ont., and is headlined The plague of this 21st Century: the consequences of the sin of homosexuality (AIDS).
In a lengthy text with headings such as "Homosexuality is Unhealthy" and "The High Cost of Low Living" the booklet describes the host of ills it says are brought about by homosexuals and homosexual behaviour. In the tract, homosexuals are blamed for the AIDS epidemic, thousands of orphans in developing nations, increases in sex crimes such as rape and contributing to the death of nations.
Employees complained to the union Wednesday about the content of the brochure, complaining that the content is homophobic, said Mooney.
"To most people in that station it was extremely offensive," he said.
"This document blames homosexuals for the AIDS crisis. It's in very, very questionable taste."
Mooney claims management officials threatened disciplinary action Thursday morning against employees who refused to deliver the brochure and that's when workers decided to leave the workplace to discuss the issue. They returned to work a few minutes later.
"All of the employees walked out and all of them are of the same opinion: They don't want to hand this type of literature to their customers," Mooney said.
Every postal facility in Vancouver has the corporation's human rights policy prohibiting discrimination by sexual orientation posted on the wall, Mooney said.
rshore@png.canwest.com
- - -
WHAT YOU CANNOT MAIL
Canada Post has specific guidelines relating to content that is deemed unacceptable. Any person using the mail for the delivery of any one of the following items commits an offence:
- Articles that are obscene, indecent, immoral or scurrilous.
- Any information relating to bookmaking, pool-setting, betting or waging.
- Articles relating to unlawful lottery schemes.
- Any article relating to schemes to deceive or defraud the public.
- Articles or special messages sent to any person with the intention to obtain money under false pretenses.
Source: www.canadapost.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment