‘Bittersweet’ day for ex-RCMP women as sex-harassment lawsuit nears end
TORONTO — Two women who endured years of sexual harassment as RCMP employees expressed mixed emotions as a landmark class-action suit against the force edged Wednesday toward final court approval.
Speaking after a settlement hearing, the women expressed hope their long battle would pave the way for a more hospitable RCMP workplace.
“It’s not a happy day based upon the fact that we’ve had to take this action to get change,” said Linda Davidson, one of the representative plaintiffs. “That’s sad. It’s 2017.”
Davidson and fellow plaintiff Janet Merlo were among a few dozen women who sat in the courtroom or spilled into an overflow room as lawyers urged Federal Court Judge Ann Marie McDonald to sign off on the agreement in the case.