Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

Employers and unions must address systemic racism

Photo of CIU flag

This week, a PSAC member was terminated after sharing a racist video that mocked the murder of George Floyd.

We were appalled at the creation and distribution of such disturbing and offensive content. It is particularly troubling when we consider that one of the people involved, worked for a major federal institution.

It demonstrates just how pervasive and systemic the problem of racism is.  No institution is immune. Unions, small business, large companies, public employers – we all have a great deal of work to do in order to eradicate racism.

At this critical moment, we call on all PSAC employers to work with us to create the genuine change that can address systemic racism. We have a diverse membership across the country, and they all deserve to be part of a union and workplace that not only rejects racism, but actively works to dismantle the structures and behaviour that sustain it.

Individuals must always be held accountable for their actions; however this is not a problem to be pinned on a single person or a few “bad apples”. We are long past the point of thinking we can make things better by simply reacting to individual acts.

Unions and employers have the ability to address systemic racism together, and PSAC is committed to being an active partner in this important work.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Little progress one year after report on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

image of an Indigenous dancer wearing a red dress

More than a year has passed since the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Many are frustrated by the government’s inaction, even though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on the anniversary that ending this national tragedy is an urgent priority for his government.

“How can an urgent priority translate into a year of inaction?’ said PSAC National Executive Vice-President Magali Picard. “This is simply a continuation of the federal government’s indifference to the plight of Indigenous women and girls, and a contradiction of their supposed commitment to reconciliation.”

PSAC fully supports the statement issued by the commissioners of the public inquiry, and calls on the federal government to follow through on their commitments to Indigenous peoples and communities.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

Anti-Black racism: It’s everyone’s fight

protest image with the words "not another black life"

Once again a spotlight has been put on systemic anti-Black racism in the justice system – one that has oppressed Black, racialized, and Indigenous people for centuries. Most recently, in the United States, Ahmaud Arbery a Black man who was simply jogging was shot to death, and George Floyd a Black man buying groceries, was killed by police officers. Breonna Taylor, a Black woman, was shot in her home in the middle of the night.

In other cases, white people threatened to call the police on Black people for simply participating in every day activities such as: bird-watching, working out in a gym, driving through a neighborhood, etc. These are activities white people do without fear every day and yet, for Black citizens, no activity can be accepted as “safe” when society is rife with systemic racism and those entrusted to protect all citizens repeatedly murder unarmed Black civilians.

Only after videos were released and protests erupted across the country were charges brought against police officers in two cases involving the killing of unarmed Black men. Not enough is being done. Anyone who uses unnecessary violence and force, whether resulting in death or harm must be held accountable – especially police officers and white supremacists. Rarely in the past have they been charged let alone convicted.

There are those who feel that this is an American issue. It is a Canadian issue too. Black people across Canada have been, and continue to be, racially profiled through carding and other forms of racially biased surveillance. A 2018 interim report from the Ontario Human Rights Commission found that Black people are grossly over-represented in police violence in Ontario. Although the Black population was about 8.8% in Ontario in 2016, use-of-force cases involving Black people was 30%. During the period 2013-2017, deadly police encounters with Black people were 60% and fatal shootings were 70%. Most recently, it was alleged that police were involved in the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet, an Indigenous-Black woman who fell to her death from the 24th floor balcony of an apartment in Toronto.

Black people must be able to walk, jog, shop, play, work, sleep and engage in everyday activities without fearing for their lives. Black lives matter. Black parents should not have to talk and prepare their children about violence and hatred directed towards them as a result of the colour of their skin, including the possibility of being killed by those who were meant to protect them. Black lives matter.

PSAC stands in solidarity with the Black community and demands justice both in the United States and in Canada. The impact of systemic racism must be recognized.  The pain, and the impact of the repeated killing of Black and racialized people, and the continuous images of violence against Black and racialized people in the media and social media platforms must be recognized. Black Lives Matter.

PSAC demands that racial profiling and the unnecessary violence used against Black people be stopped immediately. Before justice can be served, a complete overhaul of the criminal justice system and other systems that support the oppression of Black, racialized and Indigenous People must be undertaken as a first step to eliminate the deep-rooted systemic racism and unconscious bias against Black, racialized and Indigenous people.

Silence as white or non-racialized people is complicity with white supremacy and with continuing acts of systemic anti-Black violence. What actions can we take collectively against anti-Black violence and oppression?  How can we best support the Black community?  We must challenge our systems and institutions.  We must speak up in the face of injustice, racial violence and white supremacy. We must challenge our unconscious biases. We must be part of the solution.

“If you stay neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor”
– Desmond Tutu

“Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere”
– Martin Luther King Jr.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.

This is what a successful return-to-workplace plan looks like

Man working at computer

PSAC is working hard to make sure the federal government takes every necessary precaution to ensure that the return to federal offices and workspaces across the country is safe for employees, their families, and the general public.

PSAC insists that the health, safety, wellness, and privacy rights of public service workers must be at the centre of the return to workplace plan and that it reflect the fact that, until a COVID-19 vaccine is created, the virus poses an ongoing threat to the physical and mental health of workers.

PSAC also takes the position that:

  • All return-to-workplace provisions must be in line with collective agreements and legal obligations.
  • Since specific equity groups have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, the plan must be created with a strong equity and human rights lens.
  • The overall plan and any specific measure must adhere to direction from public health authorities and assessments from professional experts in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

Additionally, PSAC is urging the following measures:

Conditions for returning to the workplace

  • Provide clear guidelines for determining who will be selected to return to workspaces and who will continue to work from home. Decisions should not be left to the discretion of management to avoid discrimination.
  • Provide employees who are returning to the workplace with a reasonable notice period of at least two weeks to allow them to manage the transition and to do so gradually.
  • Allow workers living with an immunocompromised individual to continue to work remotely to minimize exposure within their household until a vaccine becomes available.
  • Continue our members’ access to “Other Leave with Pay” (699) to accommodate various circumstances including, but not limited to, child care responsibilities that are related to COVID-19, including if parents are unable to or choose not to send their children back to school or daycare.
  • Acknowledge that productivity will be negatively affected by the pandemic and that employees’ performance evaluations should not consequently be negatively affected.
  • Allow for genuine consultation and negotiation with bargaining agents on any reorganization of work. Especially in the event that changes would trigger Work Force Adjustment obligations.

Public transit and shared spaces

  • Consider how returning to offices or workspaces increases a worker’s risk of exposure to the virus as it may require them to drop children off at school or childcare, ride a bus or train, use a public washroom or ride an elevator.
  • Include a strategy to ensure workers can remain at a 2-metre physical distance from others, including in shared spaces, but still have access to necessities such as washrooms, elevators, microwaves and fridges.
  • Address how an employer will proceed when 2-metre physical distancing is not possible in elevators, entrance ways, stairwells, washrooms, and routes to and from public transit.
  • Consider the impact on workers who cannot take public transit because of risk of exposure, and therefore support accommodations like additional or reduced-price parking available for those who can drive to the work site.
  • Ensure that employers implement health and safety strategies such as staggered scheduling, controlling or restricting access to common spaces, more frequent cleaning/disinfecting of the workplace, preparing and training for emergency situations, as well as training and communication on COVID-related health and safety procedures and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

General health & safety, sanitation and workers’ needs

  • Provide a robust sanitation plan and risk assessment of federal government workspaces.
  • Include a plan to track cases of COVID-19 in the public service, including procedures that must be followed after a worker tests positive.
  • Address Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needs and align these needs with the recommendations of provincial and territorial health agencies who have called for the use of masks and gloves, especially when physical distancing is not possible.
  • Outline support for teleworkers in terms of ergonomic support, mental health, and appropriate working equipment.
  • Provide managers and Occupational Health & Safety Committees with additional situation-specific training to deal with the range of mental health problems that are likely to result, or have already, due to COVID-19.
  • Provide sufficient medical research and an assessment by a technical professional to determine how ventilation systems can contribute to virus transmission.
  • Include a plan to ensure all sanitation and ventilation systems are in ongoing compliance with the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (COHSR).
  • Consider slowing the pace of the conversion to Activity-Based Working. All work arrangements should be considered and evaluated in the context of COVID-19.

Child care

  • Provide clear guidelines on how to accommodate employees who may have to continue to provide childcare while also working due to COVID-19.
  • Allow parents to use “Other Leave with Pay” (699) to fulfill childcare needs related to COVID-19, including if some parents may be forced to keep their children home despite some schools and childcare facilities re-opening.
  • Include plans to negotiate with PSAC at the bargaining table so that its childcare proposal can be implemented as part of collective agreements.

Domestic and family violence

  • Provide an outline for the steps that will be taken to ensure employees are supported and feel protected from violence at home; whether they return to the workplace or continue to work from home.
  • Include a plan to finalize an agreement with PSAC on domestic violence leave.

Employment equity and human rights

  • Include a management approach that recognizes the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on specific groups, such as people with disabilities, women, racialized and Indigenous people.
  • Incorporate guidelines that will ensure that human rights, privacy rights and employment equity obligations are being met by the employer.
  • Include plans to consult with the NJC Joint Employment Equity Committee and departmental employment equity committees on changes to any practices, processes and policies that can potentially effect workers (telework, technological changes, workspaces, etc.) due to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on equity groups.

Privacy

  • Stipulate that any disaggregated information (age, gender, race etc.) collected that may be relevant for collective bargaining will be provided to PSAC so that we can determine any disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our members.
  • Ensure that any health or employment data collected by an employer observes privacy obligations and is stored in a secure manner.

PSAC is demanding that the government continue meaningful consultation with federal unions throughout the development and implementation of a return-to-workplace plan.

Until an acceptable overall plan is developed, PSAC strongly recommends that our members continue to work from home where possible.

We will provide further updates on the development of a plan as more information becomes available.

The original version of this article was first posted on the PSAC website.