On International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2024, the Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination convened on Parliament Hill to deliver a petition to the Prime Minister's office. 

Building on the United Nations theme for 2024, “Our Rights, Our Future, Right Now”, the petition signed by more than 35,000 Canadians calls on the federal government to settle a $2.5B lawsuit launched by Black public sector workers over decades of discrimination in the federal public service, and to implement systemic change through the following measures:  

• Establish a new designated category under the Employment Equity Act for Black Canadians to ensure proportional representation and to address the unique challenges faced by Black public servants 
• Develop and implement a comprehensive diversity and equity plan to ensure proportional representation of Black Canadians at all levels of government. 
• Create a Black Equity Commission to monitor, report, and ensure accountability for anti-Black racism within the federal public service. 
• Issue a formal apology from the Prime Minister of Canada for the historic and ongoing discrimination against Black public servants. 

“This government must stop denying justice for thousands of Black workers who have endured systemic racism in our public service,” said Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President. “Settling the Black Class Action lawsuit and implementing these long overdue changes to the Employment Equity Act are critical steps to remedy decades of injustices and discrimination for workers.” 

“International Human Rights Day commemorates the global pledge to secure the inalienable rights entitled to every human being, regardless of race, colour, religion, or sex,” said Nathan Prier, President of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees. “The Canadian government continues to pay lip service to ongoing issues of systemic discrimination and racism, but has failed to make meaningful change that will impact the lives of everyday Canadians.” 

“It has been nearly a year to the day when Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan committed to creating a designated category for Black Canadians under the Employment Equity Act, and that promise still has not been realized,” said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, President and CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat. “With a federal election around the corner, all of the progress that has been made through our advocacy work is in jeopardy of being lost. It is imperative that this government see this through.” 

Background info
The Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination formed in February 2024 and consists of: The Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA), The Enchanté Network, the Red Coalition, the Federation of Black Canadians (FBC), 613-819 Black Hub, the Black Canadians Civil Society Coalition (BCCSC) and The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE)   

On October 28th 2024, a 13 day hearing was held at the Federal Court of Justice in Toronto to determine if a $2.5B lawsuit against the Government of Canada could proceed as a class action. Black public sector workers launched the lawsuit in 2020, seeking compensation for lost wages and pensions due to decades of discrimination within the public sector. The plaintiffs are currently awaiting a judge’s decision on whether a recently released report on discrimination against Black executives can be included as evidence. If certified, the class action could cover 45,000 current and former Black public service workers from 1970 to present.