THE MOUNTIES ALWAYS GET THEIR MAN

Trouble is they were given women by their superiors and it went over like a wet blanket. Just look around, it's everywhere. Women are now hired as police officers, firepersons, outdoor city public works crews and on and on. The bosses like to call it non traditional employment for women. I worked on a public works crew with female employees. The bosses like it for two reasons: it made them look like progressives and the unionized men were more likely to work harder to avoid being shown up by the women. Today's Waterloo Region Record carrys this story "Female Mounties stand by claims of sexual harassment". Interestingly overall the men and the wives of the male workers didn't care for the idea. The actual female workers appreciated a different style job as well as the money and benefits that went with it. None of then appreciated the treatment they were given by their male colleagues.

What it boils down to is this. It's a great idea if done with intelligent, honest motives. If it's nothing more than a public relations show then forget it. Also buy in from the male employees is necessary before the start. If senior management inflict the idea on especially a unionized rank and file it won't work and everybody loses. Group behaviour can be very immature and will focus on those that are different. In this context that is women in a traditional and predominantly male environment. Along with early buy in management must make the new employees feel comfortable and part of the team. If this means discipline of those males whose behaviour is outrageous then so be it. I saw behaviour that in a high school environment would get a male student expelled. These were fourty year old men with wives and daughters at home and it was the middleaged men who behaved the worst, not the younger ones.