City council takes a stand on workplace bullying

Amendment allows one councillor to file a complaint against another

An amendment to a St. John's, Nfld., bylaw shines a spotlight on the issue of workplace harassment and bullying, said a city councillor.

Councillor Shannie Duff, the only woman on city council, introduced the amendment after what she called years of personal attacks and verbal abuse from Mayor Andy Wells.

The amendment to the workplace human rights bylaw will allow one councillor to make a complaint against another. The option was removed from the bylaw in 1994.

Duff said she decided to take action after a heated exchange with Wells during an April 10 meeting and she told the St. John's Telegram that Wells had called her a "stupid old woman" during a private meeting in February.

After a week of public criticism following the Telegram article, Wells retracted the comment and apologized, but he abstained from the vote on the amendment. The amendment was unanimously supported by the other 10 members of council, including Duff.

Duff said the bylaw had to be amended because council had not been able to deal with the verbal assaults through regular procedures.

However, Wells said he worries the amendment will stifle legitimate debate.

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