Group seeking justice for Black Francophone Canadians working federal public service jobs
Posted October 24, 2022 3:33 pm.
Last Updated October 24, 2022 6:27 pm.
A non-profit organization dedicated to combating anti-Black systemic racism in Canada, the Black Class Action Secretariat, are seeking justice for Black Francophone Canadians who they say are facing human rights violations in the public service jobs at the federal level.
A class action lawsuit of Black federal employees was launched in December 2020, asking for $2.5 billion. Now the group is hoping to bring the issues to light.
“We believe that it is important for their stories to be told, for the Canadian public to know how black Canadians, Francophone Canadians are treated,” said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, the Executive Director of the Secretariat.
“We have filed a class action as a result of the government’s failure to implement measures to address systemic anti-black racism in Canada’s public service, so we’re talking about mostly women who’ve dedicated their lives to serving this country, have served for decades, are retiring in the same positions that they started.”
(Credit: CityNews / Alyssia Rubertucci)
Jessica Lomumba, working at the Ambassador level, says she’s been discriminated against.
She says she joined the department 15 years ago and has only had one promotion.
“You’re called to go and serve abroad to, you leave your family, your friends, and you pack up and go,” she said. “For me, what what’s what’s been systematic is continuously getting recalled for bogus administrative reasons.”
Lomumba says that isn’t all.
“One of my assignments, I was doing high level work and not compensated for that,” she said. “That’s also something that’s on another grievance for another one of my assignments where my peers who were white did the same acting jobs but were offered acting pay.”
On Monday, the Secretariat announced they are opening a Quebec chapter for more visibility for the cause.
“A voice to the Francophone, Black federal employees of government, but also create an awareness among the the the Francophone population across Canada, of course, the majority being here in Quebec,” said Alain Babineau, one of the 11 plaintiffs in the suit and the Director of Operations-Quebec for the Secretariat. “We needed for them to also be aware of this class action suit.”
“It will represent tens of thousands of Black Canadians that served the federal government from 1970s up until the certification date,” said Thompson.
The suit could be authorized next May.
“It’s our belief that the only way to start eradicating discrimination in federal workplaces. For one, the federal government must recognize and admit that they have erred drastically in protecting the rights of the victims and that they’re responsible and accountable to reward each and every victim,” said Joel De Bellefeuille, the founder and Executive Director of the Red Coalition.
