The entire female engineering staff at BC Ferries has filed a human rights complaint against their employer, claiming gender-based discrimination.
The women allege that they don’t have proper changing or shower facilities on board vessels and are forced to walk through the men’s changing rooms in order to use the bathroom or showers. They also say there aren’t enough bins available to properly dispose of hygiene products.
Only 16 women work in BC Ferries’ engineering department, which employs around 500 people.
“One of our members told us she was interrupted by three other crew members at once while she was stripped down to her underpants putting her coveralls on and that’s just not appropriate or respectful in the workplace in this century,” said attorney Adrienne Smith, who is representing the 16 women.
BC Ferries engineers are required to change into their coveralls while at work, but without a dedicated changing area, the women are made to feel like “interlopers in men’s changing spaces,” according to the complaint, which has been filed with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.
“Group members must call out to advise men workers who may be changing that a group member intends to enter the space, in order to pass through it to access the toilet,” the complaint states, later adding. “Group members cannot avoid interrupting men crew members changing, and occasionally see men urinating when the toilet door is left open.”
Because of this, Smith says many choose to change in other rooms around the ship such as equipment rooms that have no locking doors and are used by other crew members.
“We see women in engineering changing behind control panels, in storage lockers,” said Smith. “[A person was once] changing behind the circuit board in LNG, PPE rooms.”
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One of the areas onboard BC Ferries vessels where female engineers are expected to change. (Photo submitted to CHEK News)
One of the areas onboard BC Ferries vessels where female engineers are expected to change. (Photo submitted to CHEK News)
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Furthermore, the women claim they are forced to carry their menstrual products with them in order to throw them out because there are not enough bins available.
“Group members carry these out of staff areas to dispose of them, in order to avoid embarrassment or negative comments from other crew members,” the complaint reads.
The women also claim that retrofit plans for three Salish Class vessels and the two Spirit Class vessels originally included designated female changing spaces, but that those spaces were never actually built, but are now used for storage or for chiefs.
“The lack of facilities draws focus to their status as women, causes them to feel different, unwelcome, humiliated, and unsafe in the workplace,” the complaint states.
Although the complaint does not allege any bad faith on the part of male engineers interrupting women when they are changing, it does point to verbal remarks in other scenarios.
“An example is a chief engineer saying they needed to behave today because there was a ‘guest’ in the engine room today. She’s a six-year-long service worker. She belongs there, she’s not a guest,” said Smith.
The women are calling for an order to provide appropriate facilities for women workers on board all vessels and at all terminals as well as the Deas Dock. They also want to see a “declaration that the conduct is discrimination, steps or programs to address the discrimination.”
BC Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall says they are aware of the complaint and take it seriously.
“We take these matters seriously and it is our hope we can address the issues raised internally,” Marshall said. “We will cooperate with any investigation.”
However, Smith claims BC Ferries stop communicating with them within the last two weeks and that no progress has been made.
“But they broke off communications with us over the last two weeks,” said Smith. “We haven’t been able to make any progress.”
Dean Stoltz
Nicholas Pescod
