Category: Human Rights

OTTAWA – The Auditor General released a scathing report on diversity and inclusion in the federal public service. The report takes serious issue with the failure of leaders in the public service to enforce existing laws, mandates, and requirements relative to diversity, equity, and, inclusion in order to ensure fairness and equality for Black and racialized workers throughout the Federal Public Service.

A major theme emerged from the confidential interviews conducted with racialized employees. They felt there was a lack of commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and there was a perception that meaningful change was not being achieved. Some employees reported that they did not know the status of initiatives from action plans or what progress toward outcomes had been made. As a result, many believed that equity was an empty word in their organizations, and plans and committees were devoid of the potential to bring about meaningful changes.

The Report found that out of the six organizations reviewed none had established comprehensive reporting mechanisms on progress against specific outcomes relative to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives relative to racialized employees in their organization. As a result, the 6 organizations did not know whether their actions had made or would make a difference in the work lives of racialized employees.

The report further revealed that just 44% of the Black visible minority subgroup felt free to discuss racism without the fear of facing reprisals, in contrast to 55% of its visible minority survey respondents and 67% who felt similarly across the entire organization. This stark disparity underscores the presence of persistent anti-Black racism within the federal public service and highlights the deep-seated mistrust of internal processes by those who have experienced racial discrimination.

A landmark class action brought by Black public service workers against the Government of Canada was launched on December 1, 2020, to address patterns of systemic discrimination and negligence experienced by Black workers within the Federal Public Service and by Applicants who were denied hiring and promotion based on their race.

The claim challenges the visible minority category of the Employment Equity Act as masking disparities contrary to the equality rights and anti-discrimination guarantee to Black people under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The claim further seeks compensation and damages for the significant discrimination, harassment, and barriers experienced by Black applicants and workers throughout the Federal Public Service.

The report of the Auditor General lays clear the truths experienced by Black workers across the Federal Public Service in terms of racist and discriminatory treatment and significant fear of reprisal in circumstances where employees seek to raise these concerns.There is a woeful lack of accountability and measurement of actual outcomes on diversity, equity, and inclusion for Black workers. Despite years of reports and studies rehashing the same concerns, the reality is that Black workers continue to be ghettoised in the lowest levels of the Federal Public Service and excluded from the upper levels of management at consistently higher rates than other workers. This most recent Report is just one in a series that recognises this reality of the experience of Black public service workers. Nicholas Marcus Thompson, Representative Plaintiff

The Black Class Action Secretariat is calling on the Prime Minister, the newly appointed Minister of Justice, and the Court to intervene to ensure that Black Canadians do not continue to experience the same kind of institutional barriers, systemic discrimination, bad faith, and unfair treatment rooted in their race and skin colour, which concerns are validated by the Auditor General’s Report.

These employees deserve better. Canada deserves better, states human rights lawyer Hugh Scher.

Unions representing millions of workers across Canada have united in a collective call for the government to settle the lawsuit on behalf of thousands of Black federal public servants. This united call comes in the wake of findings indicating that the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) discriminated against its Black and racialized employees. We urge the government to consent to certification and engage in meaningful discussions to resolve the landmark class action filed on behalf of Black workers, who continue to face severe and pervasive systemic discrimination and negligence, a matter that is underscored by the Auditor General’s report published today.

For media enquiries, please contact media@blackclassaction.ca

For more information, please visit https://www.blackclassaction.ca/

By Sam Padayachee

Aboriginal people on reservations in Canada, the hardships faced by Blacks in South African Townships, and the population of Gaza may seem disparate, yet their struggles mirror each other. It’s a harsh truth that humanity has yet to fully conquer its historical inequities; instead, they echo around the world, distinct yet strangely alike.

The historical and present-day social and economic conditions of these communities reveal a common story: one of marginalization, discrimination, poverty, and an alarming lack of basic services. Even though these injustices take place thousands of miles apart, this comparison invites us to consider the global resonance of historical and structural inequality.

Invisible walls confine and encapsulate the people of Gaza, similar to the restrictions Aboriginal people face within the boundaries of Canadian reservations. For the Black populations living in South African Townships, there are unseen divides that permeate every facet of their lives, acute reminders of a socio-political system that for years valued separation and subordination.

While on different continents and born into different cultures, the people of Gaza the Aboriginals on Canadian reservations, and Blacks in South African Townships face unfathomable challenges including inadequate healthcare, lack of quality education, systemic poverty, and enforced isolation.

It is this commonality of adversity that serves as a window into the perseverance, resilience, and determined human spirit of these individuals and communities. Yet, to only highlight their resilience misses the point—it distracts us from the fact that they should not have to be resilient to such conditions in the first place.

There is an urgent need to extend compassion, support, and decisive action across geographical borders to these marginalized communities. They have already endured the brunt of human-made barriers and systems of oppression for so long. It’s time we shed the spotlight on these glaring global inequalities, amplifying the voices of those who have historically been silenced, promoting socioeconomic reforms to eradicate poverty, and fostering a culture of inclusivity and recognition of indigenous rights.

In understanding and highlighting these similarities, we create space for empathy, change, and solidarity. Let us remember that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, and it is our collective responsibility to challenge and transform these echoes of inequality.

Sam Padayachee is the UNE Regional Representative for Human Rights, Ontario.

Access to basic human rights including water, food, and housing – is increasingly at risk or out of reach for many communities in Canada and countries around the world. As a union, our fight today and every day is to raise the standard of living for all workers, secure decent and safe working conditions, and  help build equitable communities everywhere.  

PSAC’s Social Justice Fund has been supporting the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity since 2013 following the collapse of the Rana Plaza building that killed over 1,200 workers and injured thousands of others.   

Bangladeshi garment workers are the lowest paid garment workers in the world – earning a minumum wage equivalent to 46 cents an hour, hardly enough to live on.   

Under constant pressure to meet production targets, garment workers take on excessive hours while their wages barely allow them to meet their basic needs. Workers are also subjected to physical and mental abuse on the production line.  

Today, we re-commit ourselves to the global fight for workers, human rights and access to basic needs for all.  

PSAC is pleased to see the federal government has committed funding to further study the feasibility of a search of the Prairie Green landfill for the remains of two First Nations women. 

Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree announced $740,000 would be used to determine the feasibility of a study on how to store and transport the hazardous materials during the search and the construction costs related to this undertaking. An initial study showed that although the search is possible, toxic materials may be hazardous to workers. The new Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew, has said that he hopes to work with the federal government to search the landfill quickly, but safely. 

While this is a step forward, a commitment is not action. Families deserve to mourn their loved ones with respect and dignity, and this country’s commitment towards Truth and Reconciliation is empty if we continue to perpetuate colonial violence towards Indigenous women. Continued inaction disregards the humanity of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran and their families. 

“PSAC welcomes the government’s commitment to a study, but more must be done in support of a full search of the landfill to bring justice to Morgan, Marcedes and their families,” said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National Executive Vice-President. “We need to ensure that missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and two-spirit people are treated with the utmost respect and dignity, and that all levels of government and the authorities are doing everything in their power to find them.” 

PSAC continues to urge all levels of government and the city of Winnipeg to search the Prairie Green Landfill for these women and will continue to do so until they are found. 

We invite all UNE members in the area to join us on Saturday, September 30th, for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour children who never came home and survivors of Residential schools as well as their families and communities. 

Wear your orange shirt in solidarity as we remind our government that this is only part of the reconciliation process and there is still much work to do. 

Event details:

1:00 PM – Parliament Hill, Ottawa

 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Commemorative Event 

At 1:00 PM, we will gather on Parliament Hill to participate in the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Commemorative Event. This solemn occasion offers an opportunity to acknowledge and honor the historical and ongoing impact of colonization on Indigenous communities. Together, we will stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples in the pursuit of truth, healing, and reconciliation.

If you’re not in the Ottawa area, chances are there’s an event near you. Check out the website as well for daily online events and workshops – https://nctr.ca/education/coming-soon-truth-and-reconciliation-week-2023/

A call for nominations was sent out to participants of last year’s Human Rights Conference on May 17, 2023 for the UNE National Equity Representative positions.

Results of the elections are as follows:

National equity representative for indigenous members       
Lenora Maracle 
1st Alternate: Janette Husak

National equity representative for members with disabilities
Prabir Roy

National equity representative for racialized members             
Yun-Csang Ghimn
1st Alternate: Michael Ho

National equity representative for 2SLGBTQ+   
Danielle Palmer

National equity representative for women 
Mireille Jaillet

Congratulations on your election victories!

Black History Month is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of Black leaders, workers, cultures and communities across Canada. Our labour movement has been shaped and fortified by the leadership of people of African and Caribbean descent, and we are proud to build and grow in solidarity together toward a more equitable future. 

This Black History Month, PSAC invites you to register for a national virtual panel discussion on February 20, 2023 with Black leaders in Canada’s labour movement. 

Register Now 

“Black History Month is about honouring Black excellence and the continued perseverance of leadership within our communities,” said Craig Reynolds, PSAC Ontario Regional Executive Vice-President, who will moderate the event.  

“We have been at the forefront of the fight to end racism and discrimination, rallying for workers’ rights and transforming our labour movement into a powerful avenue for social change. Our accomplishments must be recognized, and our achievements celebrated.”    

Join us to celebrate Black labour leaders in Canada. Learn about the victories and challenges faced by Black labour leaders, how they bring a more inclusive approach to labour’s agenda and are shifting the landscape towards a more equitable workplace and society for everyone. 

“Black labour leaders are keeping the movement accountable to end discrimination and remove systemic barriers to make our workplaces more inclusive for everyone,” added Jan Simpson, President of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, who will be part of the panel.  

• What: A virtual panel discussion to celebrate Black leadership in the Canadian labour movement 
• Who:  
  • Craig Reynolds, Regional Executive Vice President for PSAC Ontario (moderator) 
  • Jan Simpson, President, Canadian Union of Postal Workers
  • Jason MacLean, Secretary-Treasurer, National Union of Public and General Employees 
  • Marc-Édouard Joubert, President, Regional Council, Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec 

• When: Monday, February 20, 6 p.m. EST 

Register Now 

The panel will be offered in English and French with simultaneous interpretation. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with more details about joining the panel. 

The Council for Global Equality have partnered with Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania to launch the first ever global LGBTQI perception index, which is aiming to get a comparative sense of how LGBTQI people in different countries feel about their human rights and safety in their countries. They’ve received 165,000 responses so far, but have indicated to me that the responses from Canada are fairly low, with only about 1,800 Canadians responding. They’d like to increase that number and if you are able to share this out to your networks, that would be great. I did the survey and it really is only a few questions and doesn’t take more than a minute.

Chris Little-Gagné (he/him/il)
UNE National Equity Representative for 2SLGBTQ+