It's not funny, it's not flattering and it's against the law.

Sexual harassment is any UNWELCOME sexual advance, request for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical contact of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment creates a hostile, offensive, and intimidating environment.

Are you being sexually harassed? Examples are:

Sexually offensive materials or objects such as pictures or posters in the workplace

• Verbal abuse
• Comments about a person's body or clothing
• Touching, grabbing, or staring at body parts
• Threats to your job such as loss of assignments, loss of promotion, retaliatory discipline or loss of job, if you do not agree to sexual demands

Sexual harassment isn't about sex - it's about abuse!

These are steps you can take to stop sexual harassment:

• Object! The first time it happens. Be assertive, be firm, tell the harasser the behavior is unwelcome and offensive and it must stop.
• Keep records, detail each incident, including your response and whom you complained to and job assignments and promotions, including records of incidents. Keep all evidence, i.e. notes, pictures, photos or drawings in a safe place other than at work.
• Try to get witnesses; harassers are repeat offenders.

Seek personal support from sympathetic co-workers, friends or family. Seek counseling and/or a course in assertive training.

• If step one doesn't stop the sexual harassment, notify your union steward, committee person, business agent, or union official.
• Work with other union members to develop educational programs.

What can a union do?

While the legal responsibility for preventing or ending sexual harassent on the job rests with the employer. unions should also take active steps to prevent or eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace.

EDUCATE MEMBERS through newsletters, workshops, posted policy statements, speakers, films and women's committees.

ADOPT a strong policy and procedure dealing with sexual harassment.

TRAIN INTERNATIONAL STAFF, REGIONAL STAFF, BUSINESS AGENTS, UNION LEADERSHIP, AND STEWARDS/COMMITTEE PEOPLE in how to be sensitive to and respond to sexual harassment in the workplace.

INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS immediately, thoroughly, sensitively, as confidentially as possible, and with tact.

GRIEVE under the provisions of a contract if the harasser is a supervisor or management and/or when appropriate, file a grievance against management for failing to provide a harassment free work environment.

IF THE HARASSER IS ANOTHER UNION MEMBER, seek internal remedies by contacting your local union official. The union should take steps to protect you from sexual harassment.

FAIR REMEDIES THE UNION CAN HELP YOU SEEK:

• Order the harasser to stop.
• Adoption of a strong employer policy and procedure dealing with sexual harassment.
• Counseling, training, and discipline, ranging from a warning to discharge of the harasser.
• Counseling and training for supervisors, managers and co-workers.
• Compensation for damages suffered, ranging from economic harm to mental anguish to loss of job.
• Removal of critical material from your personnel file placed there by a harassing supervisor or manager.

Please direct your questions, suggestions and any feedback to TNG by e-mail at guild@cwa-union.org.

Note: If you are seeking a new job opportunity with the many benefits of a TNG-CWA contract, give us a call so that you may check our list of employers with Guild Contracts.