Technology and Women's Issues - Equal Pay, Right to Work,
Affirmative Action

Participatory Research Group

This workshop centred primarily on the issue of strategy. The complexity of the micro technological revolution has not been fully realized, but already, most people use this technology in everyday life. The concerns related to micro technology are shared, not only by women, but by the community at large, including the trade union movement. For women in particular, however, the introduction of micro technology is having an impact on many other struggles, including the right to work, equal pay, affirmative action, and child care. How do we want to be affected by the new technology?

How do we want to use it? Of course, different groups and constituencies will develop different strategies to meet their specific needs; but together, they must build a broad-based movement for a coordinated and effective campaign, to ensure that all working people will gain from the new technology. Alliances between the women's movement and the trade union movement are particularly vital. We must reject the assumption of a confronting relationship among unions, women and management, and develop new approaches to negotiation.

High Tech Overview

Tom Spruceton, Leigh Instruments

Introduction to Microcomputers

Workshop Leader:
David Miller, Vice President,
Compumart

The session featured a hands-on introduction to micro-computers; specifically, to the actual hardware.