The women Kasha Whyte, Denise Seeley and Cindy Richards all worked as conductors and all cited family reasons for being unable to relocate for the temporary posting in 2005. Their pleas and arguments to the railway administration were ignored.

Commission chairman Michel Doucet ruled CN's actions were wilful and reckless, saying senior railway managers ignored their responsibilities under the company's discrimination policy.

"They didn't make any efforts to try to understand the complainants' situations," he noted in a ruling on the termination of conductor Whyte. "They ignored her letters and decided to treat her case as just a child-care issue."

He ordered CN to pay Whyte an additional $20,000 for its recklessness and another $15,000 for the anguish caused by her dismissal.

Commission spokeswoman Suzanne Sauve-Hiron said the cases confirm parents with young children are protected from discrimination under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

"We are now looking forward to working with CN and other federally regulated employers to implement the principles arising out of this decision," she said.

Whyte, 46, who was a single mom with a sick son at the time of her dismissal, was thrilled with the ruling.

"I am extremely happy with the decision," she said. "I really wanted my job back because I love railroading."

Whyte said she is also pleased the commission affirmed the right of employees to be protected from discrimination on the basis of their family status.

"I am just really hopeful this decision will have a real great effect on all employers."

Seeley, 42, who had a toddler at home and another child in kindergarten at the time she was dismissed, said she is overwhelmed by the decision.

"I am very, very happy right now," she said from her horse pasture as a CN train whistled in the background. "I am very relieved. I am so thankful that this has been resolved fairly."

Seeley, whose husband is a railroad engineer, said she was anxious to go back to work.

"I love my family, but I loved having a career. I made sacrifices for that job."

Cindy Richards, 40, said she is relieved the ordeal is over.

"It's not a road I would take again as quickly," she said. "It's long and arduous. We've been at this 63 months, but finally there's closure and families have won."

Richards, a single mom, said she "drove cab and washed dishes" to support her children after she was fired.

"They equate losing a job as having the same stress level as losing a family member," she said. "I certainly concur with that. It was devastating."

CN spokesman Warren Chandler said the railway was reviewing the human rights tribunal's ruling on the three complaints.

"We're reviewing all options," he said.

Seeley said she was happy with the ruling, but disappointed the tribunal didn't also award the women their legal costs. She hopes the railway won't appeal the decisions.

(This item appeared Sept. 30, 2010, in The Edmonton Journal.)