Category: Human Rights

February 1, 2021

During the month of February, Canadians are invited to participate in Black History Month (BHM) activities and events that honour and recognize the legacy of Black Canadians, both past and present.

For 2021, as February approaches, the focus centers on Black History Matters: Listen, Learn, Share and Act, which recognizes the important legacy of people of African descent and the long-standing history in the development of Canada.

February signals a time for Canadians to celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians who, throughout history have contributed to Canada’s rich mosaic.

It is important to bring awareness to the fact that persons of African descent have been a part of shaping Canada’s heritage and its identity since the arrival of Mathieu Da Costa, a free black man who acted as a navigator and interpreter for the Europeans back in the early 1600s.

Notably, the role of people of African descent in Canada has not always been highlighted in Canada’s historical landscape. As such, we see little mention of the Loyalists who came here after the American Revolution and settled in the Maritimes and that they were people of African descent. Not to mention the patriotism and sacrifices made in wartime by soldiers of African descent as far back as the War of 1812.

Surprisingly enough, few Canadians are aware of the fact that African people were once enslaved in the territory that is now referred to as Canada. Furthermore, they are unaware, that those who fought enslavement also helped to lay the foundation of Canada’s diverse and inclusive society.

Black History Month is a time to learn more about these Canadian stories and the many other important contributions of Black Canadians to the settlement, growth and development of Canada, and about the diversity of Black communities in Canada and their importance to the history of this country.

The commemoration of Black History Month dates back to 1926, when Harvard-educated African American historian Carter G. Woodson proposed setting aside a time devoted to honour the accomplishments of African Americans and to heighten awareness of Black history in the United States. This led to the establishment of Negro History Week in 1926. Celebrations of Black history began in Canada also shortly thereafter. During the early 1970s, the week became known as Black History Week. It was expanded into Black History Month in 1976.

In December 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada following a motion introduced by the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament, the Honourable Jean Augustine. The motion was carried unanimously by the House of Commons.

In February 2008, Senator Donald Oliver, the first Black man appointed to the Senate, introduced the Motion to Recognize Contributions of Black Canadians and February as Black History Month. The motion received unanimous approval and was adopted on March 4, 2008. The adoption of this motion completed Canada’s parliamentary position on Black History Month.

With all that being said I encourage you to take some time and delve into the History of people of African descent… Black History Matters.   

Hayley Millington
UNE National Equity Representative for Racially Visible People

January 22, 2021

Our members have told us that lack of accessibility and accommodation are major barriers preventing them from fully participating in the federal public service. Despite the progress PSAC has achieved through grievances and advocacy, there is still a great deal of work to be done before we have fully inclusive workplaces. 

A new study by Carleton University aims to identify these barriers – as well as the support systems available to workers with a disability – to improve employment accessibility across the federal public service. 

You can take part in the study, “Career Transitions and Accessibility in the Federal Public Service”, if you have a disability and have ever worked or applied to work in the federal public service. 

We encourage all PSAC members with a disability to take part in this research. 

How to participate: 

You’re welcome to participate in a quick survey, an interview, or take part in both.  

1. Complete the anonymous survey online 
   • A screen reader-friendly version is also available 
2. Register for a virtual interview with Carleton’s research team 
   • You can also register by phone by calling 613-520-2600 ext. 7310 
   • You will be interviewed on Zoom or by phone, and your feedback will only be recorded with your consent. Accommodations are available for accessible participation.  

The deadline to participate in the study is March 31, 2021. A report on the research project will be published by the end of the year and shared with PSAC and the federal government.  

For more information, reach out to Carleton University’s project officer Mirvat Sanaallah. 

Source: Help improve accessibility in the federal public service | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

December 10, 2020

International Human Rights Day is a day to celebrate and recommit to advancing human rights here at home and globally.  

Seventy-two years ago, on December 10, 1948, the United Nations adopted the Declaration of Human Rights. It was a revolutionary document for the times.  

The world was just emerging from a brutal war that killed 75 million people. Workers and others around the globe were demanding a better world. They wanted peace. They wanted jobs. And they wanted an end to all forms of discrimination. They knew there can be no peace without equity, no peace without justice. And the powerful nations of the world had no choice but to respond. 

For the past nine months we have been going through another global upheaval and Canada’s marginalized communities have been hardest hit by COVID-19 – people with disabilities, Indigenous, racialized and Black communities, seniors, women, LGBTQ2+ communities, as well as low-income, unemployed and homeless people.  

The pandemic has shined a light on deep-rooted historical and ongoing inequities like disproportionate police violence towards Black and Indigenous peoples. These same groups, including persons with disabilities have suffered the most, and so have women, because they hold such a high proportion of front-line, low-paid, dangerous jobs. Women, more than men, have ended up doing most of the child care and eldercare and have ended up having to leave their jobs or reducing their work hours. 

Now, as we slowly emerge from the global pandemic, we too must demand a better world and we must organize for the change we want.  The pandemic exposed the long-standing and deep systemic inequity in this country. We have to uproot that inequity. 

In Canada, that means pushing the federal government to: 

• Follow through on its commitments to build a universal, affordable and high quality child care system across Canada; 

• Protect seniors and our most vulnerable by taking the profit out of long-term care; 
• Make concrete progress and properly fund its commitments to increase diversity and inclusion in workplaces and stamp out systemic racism across Canada; 
• Deliver on the implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) 

A just recovery from the pandemic must and will be PSAC’s priority. 

Source: International Human Rights Day: Addressing the impacts of COVID-19 on marginalized communities | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

December 4, 2020

The Public Service Alliance of Canada supports the legal action taken on behalf of nearly 30,000 past and present federal public service workers who identify as Black, Caribbean or of African descent. PSAC intends to serve as an intervener in the class action lawsuit filed against the Government of Canada by Black public service workers who have been subjected to discriminatory hiring and promotional practices.

Anti-Black racism is prevalent in Canadian society and the federal public service has not been immune. For far too long, many of our members have experienced the pain of Black employee exclusion; the systemic practice of limiting skilled Black workers from career advancement opportunities and being disproportionally underrepresented in management and high-ranking positions in the federal public service.

The class action, which has been filed with the Federal Court of Canada, argues that Black employee exclusion has led to economic and psychological harm for thousands of public service workers since the 1970s. The claim calls on the federal government to implement a plan to truly diversify the federal public service and provide restitution to tens of thousands of Black public service workers.

PSAC’s support of this class action strongly aligns with the union’s ongoing fight against anti-Black racism.

“Canada’s public service presents itself as a ‘merit-based, representative and non-partisan organization that serves all Canadians,’” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “While laudable as a principle, many Canadians, particularly Black Canadians, have experienced a different reality. The government must do what is necessary to right these wrongs and ensure that these injustices do not continue.”

PSAC echoes the calls of our Black public service members. The federal government must identify and tear down systemic barriers in its human resources practices. It must take action to increase diversity and inclusion within its ranks, especially in positions of leadership. We also expect the government to listen to Black workers and take their lead on how to correct this gross injustice.

The federal government has acknowledged that systemic racism is prevalent in Canadian society and within government institutions. If this government is truly committed to tearing down systemic racism, it must begin with its own hiring and promotion practices. Canada’s public service is richer and better served when it is made up of workers with diverse perspectives and lived experiences.

Source: PSAC stands with Black public service workers in class action lawsuit | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

December 4, 2020

On National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, PSAC remembers the fourteen young women who were killed at l’École Polytechnique on December 6, 1989, only because they were women, and today, PSAC also recommits to ending all forms of gender-based violence. 

On this day, we remember:

Geneviève Bergeron

Hélène Colgan

Nathalie Croteau

Barbara Daigneault

Anne-Marie Edward

Maud Haviernick

Barbara Klucznik Widajewicz

Maryse Laganière

Maryse Leclair

Anne-Marie Lemay

Sonia Pelletier

Michèle Richard

Annie St-Arneault

Annie Turcotte

In Canada today:

• 75,000 women and children seek shelter from violence and abuse each year;
• Homicide rates are seven times higher for Indigenous women and girls than amongst non-Indigenous women and girls;
• Immigrant women are more vulnerable due to economic dependence, language barriers and a lack of knowledge about community resources;
• Trans women are almost twice as likely as cisgender women to experience gender-based violence in their lifetime;
• Women with physical and cognitive impairments experience violence two to three times more often than women living without impairments.

COVID-19 makes it harder to fight gender-based violence. Job loss, food insecurity or the fear of contracting the virus can trigger domestic violence. Social isolation and quarantines make it harder to access shelters or sexual assault centres. Those living in rural, remote and northern regions, immigrants and refugees and Indigenous women continue to be the most vulnerable populations, and the pandemic is isolating them more than ever before.

The heightened risks caused by the pandemic require immediate action. PSAC calls on all levels of government to:

• Provide increased emergency funding to women’s shelters and sexual assault support centres, and identify ways to make services accessible in the context of physical distancing measures;
• Work with health facilities and community organizations to quickly identify available local resources;
• Include essential services to address violence against women in their response plan for COVID-19.

PSAC’s work to prevent violence against women continues. Our union is proud to have negotiated 10 days of paid domestic violence leave in all new federal government collective agreements to ensure those facing domestic violence begin to get the support they need. We also continue to pressure governments to implement all recommendations from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls report, and to eliminate barriers to accessing legal and counselling support for women experiencing violence.

PSAC is calling all members to participate in Canada’s 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, from November 25 to December 10, by taking action to eliminate its root causes.

Source: PSAC recommits to eliminating all forms of gender-based violence | Public Service Alliance of Canada (psacunion.ca)

December 3, 2020

Persons with disabilities are some of the most resilient and strong-willed people that I know. They seem to take bumps and hiccups all in stride; something of a challenge, yet still achievable. Not insurmountable. To some, those bumps and hiccups look all-consuming, or even life-crippling. But to a person with a disability, there is a way to manage.

There has to be.

There is no other choice.

It just needs to be found.

And find it we do.

But for some, that strength and resilience is only a façade that is held tightly as if a display for the public. In some strange way they believe that that strength and resilience is what the public wants to see, even needs to see so that they can go about their day and their business without giving a second thought, and for some without giving even an initial thought, as to the actual well-being of another.

Because, let’s face it, why would they?

Everything seems ok.

Everything looks ok.

What do you mean “Things may not be as they seem?”

Out of some sense of self preservation, some insular sense of self-protectionism, the public gets the façade while behind the façade is not what the public would be lead to believe.

The truth of the matter is that living with a disability is exhausting and isolating. It’s those little things that seem so insignificant that add up to a mountain of extra load. It’s those missed opportunities or the avoidance of situations that further deepens the sense of isolation. Persons with disabilities  sometimes do things for all the right reasons yet achieve all the wrong results.

Don’t forget to remember.

Check in with people, all people; persons with a disability or not.

Establish, or deepen a connection on a heart-to-heart level.

Respect the façade but also look through it; let wellness be your guide.

Be a part of the lives of the exhausted and isolated. Help them to remain resilient and strong.

By Michael Freeman

UNE National Equity Representative for Persons with Disabilities

November 25, 2020

November 25, 2020 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Why is this important, many will ask? Here are just a few facts provided by the United Nations.

• Alarming Figures 1 in 3 women and girls experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, most frequently by an intimate partner
• Only 52% of women married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use, and health care
• Worldwide, almost 750 million women and girls alive today were married before their 18^th birthday, while 200 million women and girls have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM)
• 1 in 2 women killed worldwide were killed by their partners or family in 2017, while only 1 out of 20 men were killed under similar circumstances
• 71% of all human trafficking victims worldwide are women and girls, and 3 out of 4 of these women and girls are sexually exploited
• Violence against women is as serious a cause of death and incapacity among women of reproductive age as cancer, and a greater cause of ill health than traffic accidents and malaria combined

We are in 2020 and these are facts that women are still facing daily. We all have a role to play in ending gender-based violence against women, girls and LGBTQ2+ individuals. It is time to join the uncomfortable conversations around what is violence towards women and how to be part of the solution.

Becoming an Ally to Women!

• Listening: be open to learning from the experiences of others
• Believing: support survivors and those affected by violence
• Speaking out: add your voice to call out violence
• Intervening: find a safe way to help when you see acts of gender-based violence
• Acting: give your time to organizations working to end violence 

We need to start somewhere, and this is the one place I am passionate about – Not only because I am a woman, BECAUSE I am a woman. No woman should feel powerless, EVER! We are not the weaker sex. We are just as powerful as men in different ways!

EMPOWERED WOMEN EMPOWER WOMEN!

No woman should ever feel powerless! I grew up being told I was strong, smart, beautiful and I could be anything I wanted, and I only owned my body. Listen to your gut, it never lies to you. I have been lucky. I am sure I have put myself in places I should not have. I have never been a survivor of violence; here I have been blessed.

I have, like all other women, had attention and things said to me that should never have been said to me growing up. Not knowing how to handle it or what to say or do. Being told it is just the times or just part of the job. I worked as a waitress in bar, all was part of getting tips.

Awhile ago, a friend of mine showed me a picture of a woman holding a sign and on it was a sentence crossed out and below was another. The one below was powerful and true!

She was raped.

He raped her.

This sign changed how I looked at the words we say and how we view them. What they say are powerful tools to fight against violence towards women. I went searching for more examples and found many others.

We have all heard the saying” Stick and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you.” This is so not true. When these statements are what you see and what you hear, society believes them and passed on and it becomes the norm. Let us start by breaking that cycle.

Here are a few more things we need to change:

Educate our sons

Will fight for our safety until we get it!

No such thing, an underage woman is a child. Children cannot give consent. They are RAPED, rape victims, sexual assault victims, sexual assault SURVIVORS!

This is a polite weasel word for RAPE and rapists do not deserve politeness. Victims deserve validations for what they have been through.

Will be held accountable for their actions. This is not an excuse! (Just like girls are).

Clothes are just clothes; they do not talk! No girl, woman or LGBTQ2+ individuals asks to be RAPED!

I am not naïve to know that violence towards women, girls and LGBTQ2+ individuals will stop over night just by changing a few sentences though it is a great first conversation. It is a step forward in understanding how we look at women, blame them for the violence against them, and how we usually victimize the victim in the crime. This is a necessary element to highlight in the elimination process of violence against women. It is a step in the right direction to stop this preventable epidemic.

Diana Walker

UNE National Equity Representative for Women

November 20, 2020

Today, we mourn trans, two-spirit, non-binary and gender non-conforming people who have lost their lives to transphobia. November 20th is Trans Day of Remembrance (TDOR) which began in 1999 by trans advocate Gwendolyn Ann Smith as a vigil to honor the memory of Rita Hester, a trans woman who was murdered in 1998. On this day, PSAC mourns the loss of those who were loving partners, parents, family members, friends and community members. 

Although there have been many recent gains in trans inclusion in Canada, trans people, especially racialized trans feminine people, continue to be disproportionality affected by gender-based violence. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the discrimination and inequities these individuals face. 

COVID-19 & Its Impacts on Trans People 

The pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone, but individuals in trans and non-binary communities have faced additional barriers during the spread of COVID-19. Accessing hormones and gender-affirming surgeries has been especially difficult. Since trans and non-binary people are more likely to work precarious jobs, they have also experienced a loss of income and job security.  

A survey conducted prior to COVID-19 indicated that 12% of respondents avoided going to the emergency room because they were trans or non-binary. Discrimination and these pre-existing health barriers have been heightened due to COVID-19.  

Trans and non-binary people have also faced an increase in the impacts of domestic violence in their homes in times of isolation. Furthermore, social distancing measures have had a detrimental impact on the mental health of many.  

Racialized Trans & Non-Binary People 

Reports show that racialized trans and non-binary people in Canada experience additional challenges and discrimination. In 2019, Trans Pulse Canada conducted a survey with 2873 trans and non-binary people across the country. Racialized respondents reported higher levels of discrimination, violence and assault than their non-racialized counterparts. 73% of respondents expressed fear towards police and expected unfair treatment by the legal system. Nearly 3 in 4 respondents reported being verbally harassed within the last 5 years. 

Many Black trans people report feeling disproportionately targeted and harassed by police. The recent death of Coco, a 30-year-old Black trans woman living in Toronto, while she was in the custody of the Toronto Police Services, is another stark reminder of the dangers racialized trans women face regularly. 

What can you do commemorate TDOR? 

You can participate in TDOR by attending and/or organizing a vigil on November 20th to honor  trans and gender non-conforming people whose lives were lost due to transphobia. We encourage you to participate in a digital vigil taking place online. If you are attending a vigil in person, we remind all members to take appropriate COVID-19 safety precautions (wear a mask, physical distancing, wash hands, etc.) 

You can also encourage your Member of Parliament to pass the Conversion Therapy Bill (Bill C-6) once and for all. Conversion therapy is the damaging practice of denying LGBTQ2+ people their dignity and trying to coerce individuals to change their identity. It hurts children, adults and tears families apart. You can read more information on the legislative action against conversion therapy, endorsed by PSAC.   

What can you do beyond TDOR? 

There are ways you can support trans and gender non-conforming people every day: 

• Demonstrate your trans allyship through respecting the trans people in your life. 
• Never assume another person’s pronouns, and always use the ones you are asked to. 
• Upon meeting someone new, share your pronouns with them to demonstrate your solidarity. 
• Include your pronouns in your email signature, business cards or in your displayed name during video conference calls. 

Source: http://psacunion.ca/trans-day-remembrance-covid-19-has-increased?_ga=2.89560594.829289535.1605885128-1121130890.1580157739