February is Black History Month.
This year, Black public service professionals are anxiously awaiting news about the Black class-action lawsuit against the federal government for systemic racism, discrimination, and exclusion in the workplace.
PIPSC supports the plaintiffs. We acknowledge that Black members face systemic challenges breaking into public sector jobs and then advancing as they deserve – losing out on opportunities offered to others based on their race.
We will consult our Black members who have faced barriers in their professional lives, in order to understand how the allegations of the Class-action continue to affect them. The Class-action is an opportunity for PIPSC to learn, do better, and move forward.
Getting fair work conditions for Black public service professionals is something we’re not giving up on. In 2021, we recommended that the Employment Equity Act be amended with “Black” identified as a separate equity-seeking group.
Today’s successes are built off a strong foundation left for us by our ancestors. Black labour activists in Canada fought for decades to bring in decent working conditions. One key step to economic integration in the early 20th century was the creation of the first Black railway labour union in 1917, called the “Order of Sleeping Car Porters”. Their story is recounted in “The Road Taken”.
We encourage members to take some time (perhaps over your lunch break) to watch this short film in celebration of Black History Month, and in solidarity with their colleagues still pushing for better.
While there is much work to do to continue to seek true equity for Black workers, we have so much to celebrate within our union. The achievements of our Black members are incredible, and we celebrate our members doing great things for Canadians on the daily.
Black members who want to join the PIPSC Black caucus and support this important work can email Blackcaucus@pipsc.ca to learn more.