Workers Rally Against Racism in Canadian Federal Public Service

Aug. 3, 2024

The rally took place on August 1, which is Emancipation Day.

Workers marched from the Human Rights monument to the Privy Council Office (PCO) in Ottawa demanding an end to anti-Black racism in the federal public service on Thursday. The demonstration was hosted by the Black Class Action Secretariat and various public sector unions to mark Emancipation Day, which commemorates when enslaved Indigenous and Black Peoples in the British Empire were liberated in 1834.

The rally comes after the secretariat along with its allies in the Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination revealed findings from an internal report from the Privy Council Office. It showed evidence of widespread discrimination within the office, which manages the public service.

The report was obtained through an access to information request. Written by Dr. Rachel Zellars from Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, it found that Black, Indigenous and racialized workers at the Privy Council Office were clustered into lower-level positions compared to white employees.

PCO’s workplace culture normalizes microaggressions, stereotyping and verbal violence while also discouraging reporting of these incidences, the report shows. As well, effective accountability mechanisms are non-existent.

“It is shocking that this level of blatant discrimination occurred in one of Canada’s highest offices,” said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, President of the Black Class Action Secretariat in a press release.

The reports of discrimination from the PCO are consistent with complaints leveled against the federal public service by the Black Class Action Secretariat. The statement of claim alleges wrongful failure to promote, intentional infliction of mental suffering, wrongful termination, negligence and violations to employment and human rights law.

As such, the PCO joins many other federal public service offices who must contend with accusations of racism and discrimination. Moving forward, the report recommends that the PCO should foster a culture that allows for an understanding of suffering due to anti-Black racism and facilitates accountability for instances of discrimination.

The PCO responded to a letter asking about steps taken so far to address the issues of racism on July 26. Deputy clerk of the office, Christiane Fox, wrote that PCO has taken a number of steps to hold itself accountable and put in practice anti-racism policies.

Initiatives include the appointment of the office’s first Chief Diversity Officer in September 2023 and providing training to address implicit bias, tokenism and microaggressions. The PCO is also piloting the Black Policy Leaders Development Program to promote career advancement. Fox wrote that the PCO is aiming to hire seven people through the program in the summer or fall.

“Progress on the Call to Action on Anti-Racism, Equity and Inclusion in the Federal Public Service is integral to living out the department’s values and ethics of the federal public service, including respect for people, driving a culture of excellence and innovation,” Fox wrote.

Still, some are concerned about the timeliness of solution implementation within the office.

“Once again, those who have been perpetrators of discrimination are being tasked with implementing change,” Thompson said in a release. “This approach has consistently failed, and it’s time for real arms-length accountability mechanisms, and structural changes to meaningfully address anti-Black discrimination.”

[Top photo: Courtney Betty, a member of the legal team for the Black Class Action Secretariat, speaks to the crowd on Thursday, August 1. Gabriela Calugay-Casuga.]