OTTAWA, July 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Emancipation Day, The Black Class Action Secretariat invites Canadian workers and their allies to rally against discrimination and anti-Black racism in the public and private sector.
This week, BCAS and its supporting coalition exposed discrimination at Canada’s Privy Council Office – the head of the federal public service, and secretary to the Prime Minister and federal cabinet. In a shocking internal report obtained through the Access to Information Act, workers described the use of racial slurs, racial stereotyping, and microaggressions as normalized, and an office culture that discouraged reporting, and lacked accountability mechanisms. White staff also detailed career-advancing opportunities that were in stark contrast to those of Black, Indigenous, and racialized employees, who were clustered in temporary and lower-level positions.
This is just the latest evidence of discrimination embedded within the federal public service. It has also been documented at the Treasury Board Secretariat, and even the Canadian Human Rights Commission – the very body that Canadians are supposed to turn to when they find themselves as victims of discrimination. The findings of discrimination were so egregious that a UN-affiliated body is now re-evaluating Canada’s human rights status.
Enough is enough.
August 1st marks Emancipation Day – when enslaved Indigenous and Black Peoples in the British Empire were liberated in 1834. We invite public service workers, elected officials, and the Canadian public to take a stand with us and fight for justice and equity for all.
Join us in the streets of Ottawa during your lunch break as we march from the Human Rights Monument at 220 Elgin St, Ottawa, to the Privy Council Office. Your support is crucial in making our voices heard and driving meaningful change.
ON EMANCIPATION DAY, WORKERS RALLY TO DEMAND GOVERNMENT ACTION ON DISCRIMINATION IN THE FEDERAL PUBLIC SERVICE
DATE: Thursday August 1, 2024
TIME: 11:45 a.m.
LOCATION: Meet at the Human Rights Monument by Ottawa City Hall and march to the Privy Council Offices at Elgin and Wellington.
SPEAKERS: Nicholas Marcus Thompson - President and CEO, Black Class Action Secretariat; Alex Silas - National Executive Vice President, Public Service Alliance of Canada; Nathan Prier - President, Canadian Association of Professional Employees: Laurie Antonin - Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
CONTACT: media@bcas-srcn.org
