Changing The Rules

"We sincerely apologize that you were exposed to this situation. We wanted to extend our apologies for the lack of precise guidelines regarding the execution of your tasks and the overall operations of the evening. We understand that this situation made you feel uncomfortable and we do not wish that on any of employees."
Letter of semi-acknowledgement, NDP national director, Nathan Rotman

Circumlocution, avoidance, the delicacy of skirting the main thrust of the subject which was sexual harassment by young women zealously working for and behalf of the New Democratic Party of Canada, exposed to the unfortunate reality that those whom they assumed -- with what they felt was good reason -- to believe they were their managers and could be relied upon for guidance in the prosecution of their duties and to behave in a manner consonant with sober responsibility were rudely and shockingly abused of that quaint notion.

The young women who were exposed to wantonly drunken advances they managed as a group looking out for one another to extricate themselves from, and who upon searching for aid from senior NDP managers found disinterest in their plight rather than a willingness to become involved, proclaimed themselves publicly to be satisfied with the apology that managed to convey an impression of contrition without addressing itself to the embarrassing truth of clay feet possessed by those they trusted.

Because NDP staffers who had been exposed to unwanted sexual advances and the misfortune of discovering that their superiors were too drunk and too disinterested to alert them to how they should proceed in the matter of staffing a cocktail fundraiser in Montreal at the NDP's April convention, found there was no one to turn to who wanted to be responsible, they turned instead to the Ottawa Labour Council for guidance.

If any good has come out of the situation where junior administrative staff with no concise instructions on how they were to manage the event found themselves in a situational conundrum when NDP members refused to pay the required fee for attendance -- and had no idea how to proceed when they "saw our managers sloppy drunk", compounded by witnessing a major fundraiser and former NDP official "hitting on" a colleague who was rescued, only to have the fellow do the same to another, necessitating that she too be "extracted" -- it was the issuance of a protocol developed "regarding the logistics and operations of fundraising events, especially at those in which alcohol is being served".

"Such protocol will provide specific guidelines for all staff working at the event", wrote the NDP's deputy national director, Chantal Vallerand. The young female complainant had explained that when she had in desperation approached another NDP official for guidance his response was "Not my event", and walked away from responsibility. "Chantal reprimanded us the next morning. There is no question about that: she started off with, 'I've heard you've been going around telling stories about our senior management staff going around and getting drunk ... this is not acceptable and I need you to stop.' It was clearly a reprimand not instructions."

How surprising it is that hoary old leftists hailing from academia and unions remain mired in the heady days of the height of the women's liberation social upheaval when sex was 'free' and freely available, leaving them with the impression that the newer generation of political-savvy women whose idealism hasn't robbed them of their human dignity as intelligent females, refuse to be used as playthings. In retrospect, perhaps the sainted late lamented Layton's indiscretion in sauntering comfortably into a Toronto red-light massage parlour set a poor example that is yet resonating.

"It is disappointing that management has chosen, at this time, to not write a letter to the person in question (in the) complaint. That management seems to be minimizing the seriousness of the complaint is indeed frustrating and more than questionable. I remind you that as a resolution dealing with sexual harassment within the RCMP and other federal government departments was being debated and passed on the floor at the NDP convention an (alleged) actual scene(s) had played out at one of its own events during this time. To suggest your position is appalling is probably an understatement."
Sean McKenny, Ottawa Labour Council president