The following is being distributed at the request of the Human Rights Commission:

The Newfoundland Human Rights Commission is pleased to report the largest settlement in a human rights complaint in its 26 year history. Today, lawyer for the commission, Barry Fleming, and George Horan, Q.C., representing the Department of Justice, a respondent in the complaints, asked adjudicator, Kelvin L. Parsons for an order approving a settlement agreed upon by the parties totalling $144,641. The amount represents compensation for general damages.

The four complainants, Catherine Parrell of Mount Pearl, Stella Williams of Pouch Cove, Betty Power of Flatrock and Ruby Murphy of Mount Pearl worked as jailers attending the needs of female prisoners at the Lockup in St. John's. In complaints filed with the Human Rights Commission they allege that they were paid less than correctional officers who attended to male prisoners. The complainants alleged that the Department of Justice breached their right to equal pay and that the Newfoundland Association of Public Employees failed to negotiate competently on their behalf because they were women and the correctional officers were predominantly male.

This morning the Department of Justice acknowledged the complaints were justified and agreed to pay damages. The department also agreed to pay the women on a scale comparable to correctional officers. NAPE objected to the women receiving this pay raise. The board of inquiry ruled that the parties should file written submissions on NAPE's objections. The hearing will be reconvened once the board of inquiry rules on these preliminary issues.

Contact:

Gladys Vivian
Executive Director, Human Rights Commission
P.O.Box 8700
St. John's, Newfoundland A1B 4J6
(709) 729-2709
Toll-free 1-800-563-5808.