Women allowed to work at Bell even when hideous

Fired women file suit, human rights claim, say retreat with martial arts theme 'over the top'.

Here's the story: a couple of female executives (who have been run over by the ugly truck) did well at Bell Express-Vu.

Then they went to an executive retreat.

In documents filed in a civil lawsuit alleging gender discrimination in the workplace by their former employers, the women say they had to put up with a macho corporate culture that included sexist, vulgar language and being frozen out of drinking sessions with the "boys' club."

The company denies the women were subjected to discrimination.

A July 2005 "off-site" retreat, organized around a martial arts theme, was "over the top," Green said in an interview.

They were assigned The Art of War to read. "War music" was playing. "We had to wear war paraphernalia ... bandannas, costumes and props," Boutilier said in an interview. And they were expected to participate in a judo class.

"I'm from New York," says Green. "I'm used to crazy things. What shocked me was Fran and I were both in business attire. We were both wearing high heels, stockings and skirts."

Boutilier paired off with a third woman who was there from a different arm of Bell Canada. Green says she refused to pair off with a man to practise kicks, punches and chokeholds.

"It was full body contact," she says. "There was no way. ... I kind of feigned an injury and said that I couldn't do it. I mean that's rule 101. No bodily contact between male and female employees."

"No bodily contact between male and female employees" implies that male-male and male-female body contact is allowed. Isn't that rule (that these crazy bitches have quoted) the real discrimination? Shouldn't they have been upset if they were excluded from the judo bit because they were fragile little half-human homo acerbii? With one breath they complain that they were "excluded from the drinking sessions", and then get upset because they were permitted to participate in the same team-building rituals that the men were. In fact, this entire claim seems rooted in the firm belief that only men are capable at war, perform stylized martial arts, or read books of historical interest. Not sure exactly whose case is being strengthened here...

She points to Bell's own website, based on Statistics Canada data, which shows the percentage of women working at Bell ExpressVu – 38.3 per cent of its workforce – is well below the numbers for women available in the workforce – 59.3 per cent – for the jobs. That's surprising, given the majority are call-centre positions, traditionally "pink ghetto" jobs, says Boutilier.

So...Bell needs to... hire more tea ladies?