2 July 26, 2024 Stratford Times Respectful workplace policy remains in place, but will be reviewed CONTINUED FROM FRONT Only Sebben and Coun. Geza Wordofa voted to suspend it, although council vot- ed unanimously to have staff prepare a re- view of the policy. In defence of the policy, Coun. Jo-Dee Burbach said that it is bigger than this one instance. “We have almost 600 employees in the City of Stratford and we need this respect- ful workplace policy to protect all of our employees,” Burbach pointed out. “We have multiple properties with multiple people doing all kinds of jobs ... All over Canada, all over the world, we've seen in the past several years sort of a degradation of respect. And I think what this policy does is encourage people back towards just general respect to each other. And I've said this many times, I don't think that this eae workplace policy is hard to fol- Sebben, when he first put forward the motion, said that he has heard concerns from many people about the policy’s im- plementation and, counter to what Bur- bach and some other councillors had said, were worried about following the policy. “T've also heard from people who have received notices, letters based on com- ments made at meetings,” Sebben said. “Others still have told me they're hesitant to seek help or concern of receiving a no- tice. In my opinion, this policy has created an atmosphere where people are becoming increasingly discouraged from engaging with council? Coun. Lesley Biehn asked Dave Bush, director of human resources, if he felt that a review of the policy was warranted. Bush answered succinctly. “Yeah, I believe the time is now,” he said. Numerous delegations at the most re- cent council meeting and past meetings brought up the case of Bracken v. Town of Fort Erie, a case the Ontario Court of Simple Dreams scoops up ice cream for Stratford General Hospital Staff ‘CONTINUED FROM FRONT Mark Gibson, corporate lead of volun- teer services and student engagement at the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance (HPHA), further explained that the organization partnered with The Big Scoop to make this day happen and get staff to take a break and enjoy some ice cream and sunshine. Gibson pointed out that ice cream was also being served to staff of the other HPHA sites that same day: St. Marys Me- morial Hospital, Clinton Public Hospital and Seaforth Community Hospital. . Perth-Wellington MP John Nater was there at Stratford general to help the Knei- ders scoop. As he said, he’s had some ex- perience in the past when he’s helped out ard has taught me a couple of ” Nater laughed. “There’s a real JOHN NATER, MP PERTH—WELLINGTON JOHN.NATER@PARL.GC.CA © JOHNNATER.CA © 519-273-1400 technique to it. I have not mastered it.” Richard Kneider disagreed with the local MP, adding Nater is good at serving piz- za, something that will come in handy in the next few weeks when Simple Dreams hosts its annual Pizza and Pool Party. “Believe it or not, this will be about the 14th or 15th year that we’ve been having it,” Richard Kneider said. “We partner with the city — and we’re ver thank- ful for that — and with Domino’s Pizza and we just have a free pizza pool party.” This year, the party takes place on Aug. 5, the civic holiday, and runs from 2:30-4 p.m. at the Stratford Lions Pool. Families can come sone ae eniy. a free swim and some pizza, Richard Knei- der said. Ruth Kneider added ae all a need to bring is their towels and their swimsuits. — — (CONNOR LUCZKA PHOTO) Coun. Cody Sebben put forward a motion at the council meeting on July 22 to suspend policy number H.1.36, the respectful workplace policy, and to direct staff to provide op- tions for a future review. The policy was not suspended but council unanimously voted to conduct a review. Appeal reviewed. The court found that the town was not justified in issuing a trespass notice to an intimidating citizen, since said citizen was never threatening or violent. Coun. Mark Hunter said that using this case as an example of why Stratford’s pol- icy is erroneous is misinterpreting that case. The reason why the court was in fa- vour of Bracken was because he was nei- ther a worker nor were his actions in the workplace, Hunter said. He further stated that staff members are required to attend council meetings as a condition of employment, making the Stratford council chambers a workplace. Per provincial legislation, the city needs to protect its staff — from both violence and harassment — and cannot override that leg- islation. “I’m confused a little bit by some of the flak around this,” Hunter exasperated. “I don’t know why it’s so challenging to have to be respectful of people.” Coun. Taylor Briscoe also said that in Bracken v. The Town of Fort Erie the court further enumerates ways that charter rights and a workplace safety policy may be balanced, including providing contact through a city solicitor, through email, or sending a delegate to council on their behalf — opportunities all of the affect- ed individuals in Stratford were afforded through this policy. “We do actually heed the court's warning of how to balance that right with the bal- ance of our workplace’ policies,” Briscoe said. She later stated that “a consequence for behaviour is not the same as somehow overwriting a charter right.” Before council deliberated on the mo- tion, many Stratford citizens delegated on the matter, including Wood, Robert Roth, Jane Marie Mitchell, David Yates, Tim Forester, Shaughnessy, and Jason Davis. In addition, Sullivan and Joan Bidell pro- vided written correspondence. All of the delegates ‘Supported Sebben’s motion in full, to varying degrees. Wood, one of the recently suspend- ed citizens, spoke at the meeting. He ac- knowledged that he used “intemperate lan- guage,” for which he offered to apologize, but that words alone are not violence. Roth, a retired journalist and the spokes- person of Save Our Speech Stratford, came to council chambers wearing a Royal Ca- nadian Regiment uniform, saying that when he first donned the uniform he made a pledge to defend the country and the val- ues for which it stands — and that he felt compelled to wear it that evening. He said the policy does not belong in the chamber. “People are legally entitled, despite what was said earlier, to use tough, unflatter- ing and even hostile language to criticize politicians,” Roth said. “That may not be pleasant, or even preferable, but it is the law. Policies are for employees, not mem- bers of the general public.” Jason Davis, who disclosed that he suf- fers from PTSD after a violent altercation many years ago, shared that he knows firsthand how important it is for staff to feel safe at their work. Once, a customer threatened him at his job and his employer did nothing to stop it. He ended up leaving that position. Davis also said that there needs to be checks and balances between the feelings of staff and actions on behalf of the city and that the same protections to ensure staff don’t feel intimidated need to also be * afforded to citizens. “It's important to have protections there so that we can keep staff and we can make sure everyone goes home feeling safe and welcomed and able to have open ideas,” Davis said. “But it's also important that the citizens that come to speak in this room be able to have those same feelings and not feel intimidated or not feel fear that some- thing they do even subconsciously can be turned around and sent by a letter or an email within the hour they finished speak- ing.”