Emancipation Day March
August 1 is Emancipation Day, a time to reflect on the legacy of the enslavement of Black and Indigenous peoples in Canada, celebrate the strength and perseverance of Black communities across the country, and demand an end to ongoing anti-Black racism in Canadian society and in the federal public service.
The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) will join the Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS) and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) in a march from the Human Rights monument on Elgin Street in Ottawa to the offices of the Privy Council on the corner of Sparks and Wellington to demand accountability after recent reports detailing the persistent culture of anti-Black racism in the highest civil service office in the country. This is a critical moment in the fight against racism in our society.
The Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination is calling for:
- The resignation of Deputy Clerk Natalie Drouin, who was responsible for the discrimination file since 2021; and the resignation of Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet, Ministerial Services and Corporate Affairs, Matthew Shea, the head of Corporate Services since 2017.
- The federal government to appoint a Black Equity Commissioner to address systemic anti-Black racism across all levels of government (similar to the two representatives appointed to address Antisemitism and Islamophobia)
- The federal government to establish a department of African Canadian Affairs to centralize anti-Black racism work.
- The federal government to implement the Employment Equity Act amendments it promised in December 2023, to add Black Canadians as an employment equity group.
- The federal government to provide restitution to Black public sector workers who have launched a class action lawsuit based on years of discrimination, as identified in multiple federal reports.
Join us and bring your colleagues and friends!
Date: August 1
Location: Meet at the Human Rights Monument by Ottawa City Hall on Elgin Street to march over to the Privy Council offices
Time: 11:45 am
RSVP
Other union members and members of the public at large are also invited to join in to show their solidarity for Black federal public sector workers.
The Coalition Against Workplace Discrimination consists of: The Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS), the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), 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).
