As published in the Daily Gleaner Friday, April 21, 2006
Views expressed by individuals in these letters are not necessarily the views of the Anglo Society of New Brunswick
by Audrey Spence
I am an employee of Service New Brunswick in Sackville, and have worked as a call-in casual, being extended every three months for the last four years.
When a position for a part-time position became available and was posted, I readily submitted my resume which stated in detail that I had been doing the exact job for the last two years.
I never was granted and interview.
When I asked my manager why I was not considered for the position, he told me that I was not qualified for the job.
Flabbergasted, I asked him in what way I was not qualified. He replied that because I could not speak French, I was not qualified.
Now, up until the competition was run, the Sackville office was never considered a bilingual office. Also, the summer before, all N.B. employees were offered French language training at NBCC Moncton. Both myself and the full-time person in our office requested this training and we were both refused. But now, suddenly, I am not qualified to do the very job I have been doing for four years, only because I cannot speak French.
Where is the fairness in this? Whom do I turn to?
I have lived in New Brunswick all of my life, have raised a family here, have two sons in university and a daughter still to go in a couple of years. I pay taxes. I have worked hard, and competently for SNB for the last four years, only to have my face slapped when I wish to advance a little.
Audrey Spence
Sackville, N.B.
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04/28/2006 08:28 PM
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