As part of Black History Month 2021, PSAC organized a series of panel discussions that looked at the issues facing Black workers and to honor the contributions of Black labour activists in this country. We are now making these discussions available online for everyone's benefit.

WATCH: Working while Black: A discussion on recourse mechanisms for Black workers

The recent launch of a class action lawsuit on behalf of nearly 30,000 past and present federal public service workers who identify as Black, Caribbean or of African descent, has underlined the systemic discrimination Black workers face every day in the workplace. It raises the question: why do workplace recourse mechanisms for racism and racial discrimination often fail Black workers?

Our expert panelists:

Amarkai Laryea – PSAC Representation and Legal Services

Doug Hill – PSAC Grievance & Adjudication Officer

Samantha Peters – Lawyer, Educator and Advocate

Craig Reynolds - PSAC Regional Executive Vice President (Moderator)

Sharon DeSousa - PSAC National Vice-President opened the session

WATCH: A history of Black labour activists

Black workers have had a profound impact on building Canada’s economy and have helped push the labour movement to where it is today, yet their contributions are rarely acknowledged. Join us as we review a side of labour history that is rarely discussed and recognize the great work of many Black labour union activists.

Our expert panelists:

Marc-Édouard Joubert - Union Activist, FTQ

Craig Reynolds – PSAC Regional Executive Vice President – Ontario

Marie Clarke Walker - CLC, Secretary Treasurer

Djimy Théodore, PSAC Quebec Region Equity Director (Moderator)

Sharon DeSousa - PSAC National Vice-President opened the session

Subscribe to PSAC’s YouTube channel and click the bell icon to get our most recent video updates.