Author Archives: Pierre St-Jacques

Celebrating Black History Month 2024: Honouring Black labour leaders

February is a time to celebrate, reflect upon, and honour the significant contributions of Canadians of Black, Caribbean or African descent. This year, PSAC is taking the opportunity to highlight the importance of Black leaders in our unions and our communities and renew our support for the Black Class Action’s ongoing fight to eliminate racism and discrimination in the federal public service.

Honouring Black labour leaders: Shaping the union landscape 

The rich tapestry of Black history within the labour movement is interwoven with stories of determination and groundbreaking leadership. Black labour leaders have played a pivotal role in championing workers’ rights and influencing positive change in Canada. Their contributions have not only advanced the rights of Black workers, but also paved the way for greater inclusivity for all.

Throughout history, Black leaders within PSAC also led transformative initiatives, negotiated fair contracts, and advocated for policies that promote equality and justice in workplaces across Canada. Their commitment laid the foundation for workplaces that recognize the value of equity and diversity. There is still work to be done and PSAC acknowledges this ongoing journey through the Anti-racism action plan.

Spotlight on the Black Class Action lawsuit: Advocacy and justice 

Black federal public service workers have advanced a historic class action lawsuit to highlight the systemic discrimination, racism, and inequality within various sectors of the Federal Public Service.

The Black Class Action lawsuit serves as a means of advocacy, shedding light on the barriers Black workers face in the workplace and seeks to compel all major Canadian institutions to be accountable for their actions. This is an important legal step towards a larger conversation on the importance of reparations.

PSAC continues to call for the federal government to settle the lawsuit on behalf of tens of thousands of Black federal public service workers who have faced decades of discrimination and lost career advancement opportunities.

How you can get involved 

  • Educate Yourself: Take the time to learn more about the history of Black labour leaders and their contributions to shaping the union landscape iShare Stories: Throughout the month, black labour leaders from PSAC will share their insights regarding Black History Month. Use your platforms to amplify the stories of Black leaders, shedding light on their accomplishments and the challenges they’ve overcome.
  • Support Black Class Action: Stay informed about ongoing initiatives and lend your support to efforts aimed at addressing systemic issues within the workforce.

Together, let’s support the continuous efforts of Black workers in creating workplaces that are healthy, safe, and free from discrimination for everyone. 

This article was first posted on the PSAC website.

CIU National President tours Manitoba Branch

Last week, CIU National President Mark Weber toured the Manitoba Branch, meeting with members from all over the province. Accompanied by FB Bargaining Team member Mike Fraser as well as Manitoba Branch President Kyle Hudson, the National President had the opportunity to hear from members in Winnipeg, Sprague, South Junction, Piney, Tolstoi, Windygates, Winkler, Gretna, Emerson, Snowflake, Crystal City, Cartwright, Lena, Lyleton, Coulter, Goodlands, and Boissevain.

During these visits, members received important information on union affairs and bargaining matters, as well as (and perhaps more importantly) new union swag. National President Mark Weber is thankful for the warm welcome and valuable feedback from the Manitoba membership, and looks forward to meeting with members from other Branches.

Interested in having the National President and a member of the Bargaining Team tour your work location? Talk to your Branch President!

20240126_104059 Lyleton
20240125_175352 Lena
20240125_161852 Cartwright
20240125_134256 Crystal City
20240125_115022 Snowflake
20240125_104335
20240124_170313 Emerson
20240124_150653 Gretna
20240124_125520 Winkler
20240124_112516 Windygate
20240123_175623 Tolstoi
20240123_152420 Piney
20240123_134405 South Junction
20240123_120951 Sprague
20240122_124121 Winnipeg Air Cargo
20240122_150731(0) Winnipeg Long Room
20240126_165930 Boissevain
20240126_135855 Goodlands
20240126_122008 Coulter

Border Services in Saint John to shift to weekday, daytime only operations: “CBSA has given up” says union

Photo of CIU flag

OTTAWA, January 18, 2024 — The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently announced that it would only staff border services operations in Saint John, NB, on weekdays during daytime hours, eliminating the long-established, regular presence of border officers in the evening, on weekends, and on holidays.

This decision, which affects travellers, commercial, and marine operations, comes at a time of considerable growth for the Port of Saint John and the surrounding community. Tourism is up, marine trade is flourishing, and new rail lines are being built. The Port itself has undergone a significant modernization process, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visiting the updated installations this past January 17.

By eliminating the presence of border officers outside of weekday daytime hours, CBSA clearly goes against this trend, threatening to undermine both the economic growth and the security of the Saint John community.

“CBSA will say that their decision reflects the demand for service by the Port and the Saint John community, but this does not take into account post-pandemic volumes and completely ignores security issues,” said Customs and Immigration Union National President Mark Weber. “The last two years have seen CBSA and RCMP officers perform some of the largest drug seizures in the history of the Port” explained Weber, adding that “protecting the border is not just a 9-to-5, Monday-to-Friday operation. It’s 24/7. The Agency should be increasing its presence in Saint John, not decreasing it.”

The Agency’s decision is not unique to Saint John, as other ports of entry face similar staffing and scheduling challenges. “It’s as if the Agency has given up and simply accepted that they will never be able to properly staff ports of entry with current federal funding,” said Weber. “It’s insulting to our members, to border personnel. Their job is to protect Canadian communities, to interdict dangerous goods and offenders. We really need the federal government to ensure border services can operate adequately at all times.”

“It’s concerning that the federal government finds it acceptable that the Agency, which runs the second-largest law enforcement force in the country, would choose to only staff daytime, weekday shifts. Imagine if the RCMP announced they no longer worked weekends — how would Canadians react?” asked Weber.

Never Again: Canada’s unions mark December 6 with call to end gender-based violence

Canada’s unions are marking the 34th anniversary of the attack at École Polytechnique in Montreal by urging the federal government to take concrete steps to prevent and address gender-based violence in Canada. This must include implementing ILO Convention 190 (ILO C-190), the first international standard of its kind, that acknowledges the universal right to a world of work free from violence and harassment; integrating Indigenous rights and justice into practices and policies by implementing the Calls to Justice from the National Inquiry into Missing Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and Two Spirit People (MMIWG); and, implementing the recommendations of the Mass Casualty Commission report, which was released earlier this year.

On December 6, 1989, a male gunman targeted and shot several women students at l’École Polytechnique in Montreal. 14 women died, and 10 others were injured. Every year, on December 6, Canada’s unions join organizations across the country in marking the day, by calling for necessary action to end gender-based violence and femicide.

“We remember those lost and injured that day, targeted because they were women. We also mark December 6, by reaffirming our commitment to act against gender-based violence. We owe it to the memory of those victims, and to everyone lost or injured because of gender-based violence since then, to take decisive action and put an end to this injustice,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “The December 6 murders happened over three decades ago, and yet we’re still fighting for proper protections against gender-based violence. At work, women and gender-diverse workers are more likely to be the targets of violent behaviour, particularly by third parties like clients, customers or patients. Every worker deserves to be safe at work, which is why it’s critical that the federal government collaborate with unions and employers to implement ILO C-190.”

ILO C-190 establishes a clear framework for ending violence and harassment in the world of work, and makes governments accountable for preventing and addressing violence at work. The federal government of Canada ratified ILO C-190 earlier this year but has yet to develop a plan for implementation. Meanwhile, incidents of workplace violence perpetrated against women and gender-diverse workers continue to increase.

Femicide is on the rise: on average, one woman or girl is killed every two days in Canada. We’ve also seen a sharp increase in incidents of misogynist, transphobic and homophobic hate. The alarming proliferation of anti-feminist and anti-trans disinformation online is emboldening perpetrators to commit violence offline. Earlier this year, at the University of Waterloo, a male former student targeted and attacked a woman associate-professor in a gender studies class. Two students were also seriously injured in the attack.

Workers with multiple and intersecting identities, like Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirit people, face especially high rates of gender-based violence. This is why it’s critical that any government plan aimed at addressing gender-based violence also include measures to implement the MMIWG inquiry calls to justice.

“Gender-based violence is a violation of human rights, and refusing to act to end it is not an option. Everyone deserves to be safe at work, and that includes putting an end to gender-based violence in the world of work. But we must be intentional in the way we do this work, and any policy aimed at addressing gender-based violence must adequately reflect intersectional experiences,” said Siobhán Vipond, CLC Executive Vice-President. “It is our duty to honour the memory of those we’ve lost, and to honour those who survived, by ending gender-based violence. For over thirty years, Canada’s unions have called for the prevention and elimination of all forms of gender-based violence, and we remain steadfast in our commitment.”

Canada’s unions are ready to get to work, alongside governments and employers, to ensure workers in every sector and every jurisdiction are safe at work, so no one is left behind.

In memoriam

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

A version of this article was first posted on the CLC website.