Racism is allegedly common in the federal public service. One Black manager reported that a co-worker teased her with a stuffed monkey. This accusation was written to a parliamentary committee looking into discrimination complaints..“An employee entered my office,” wrote Kethlande Pierre, deputy director of the patent office. .“In her hand, she had a stuffed animal, a monkey.” .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Pierre shared that an employee told her she should be a janitor instead of a deputy director..“I left the office in tears,” Pierre wrote the Senate Human Rights committee. .“I felt small, humiliated, ashamed.”.The committee is looking into complaints about racism against Black people in government offices, including the Canadian Human Rights Commission. .The Treasury Board has accused managers at the Commission of mistreating Black employees..Pierre said bigotry was “entrenched and rooted” in the federal workplace..“I have been a victim of systemic racism and workplace violence because of the colour of my skin throughout my entire career with the federal government,” wrote Pierre. .“Although my career could be viewed as a successful one which may lead to the conclusion that equality of opportunity and inclusion is real and full-fledged for Black public service workers, this is not the case. Racism is so entrenched and rooted in the culture that, for many years, my survival strategy was to learn to live with it.”.On May 15, Chris Aylward, the national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said that unacceptable behaviour was happening regularly..Systemic discrimination “runs so deep in Canada’s public service,” said Aylward..Black employees “told us firsthand that systemic discrimination has existed in Canada’s public service for decades,” said Aylward. .“What’s a path forward to rebuilding trust?” asked Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard (NS). .“Certainly, it has to start at the top,” replied Aylward..In a report from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, it was found that there were complaints of prejudice and discrimination at work. The report Anti-Racism Employee Focus Groups was published in 2021..“These problems do exist,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser earlier told MPs..Focus groups detailed incidents in which managers referred to an office where Black employees worked as “the ghetto,” discussed the perceived sexual attributes of “Black girls,” asked to pat Black employees’ hair and described African countries as “the dirty 30.”.Other managers were quoted as remarking “indigenous people are lazy” and that Mexican immigrants “just come here to collect social insurance.” .The report stated “the problem is so deeply rooted in the organizational culture and in the values of people in power who have held it for a long time and are not likely to change.”
Racism is allegedly common in the federal public service. One Black manager reported that a co-worker teased her with a stuffed monkey. This accusation was written to a parliamentary committee looking into discrimination complaints..“An employee entered my office,” wrote Kethlande Pierre, deputy director of the patent office. .“In her hand, she had a stuffed animal, a monkey.” .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Pierre shared that an employee told her she should be a janitor instead of a deputy director..“I left the office in tears,” Pierre wrote the Senate Human Rights committee. .“I felt small, humiliated, ashamed.”.The committee is looking into complaints about racism against Black people in government offices, including the Canadian Human Rights Commission. .The Treasury Board has accused managers at the Commission of mistreating Black employees..Pierre said bigotry was “entrenched and rooted” in the federal workplace..“I have been a victim of systemic racism and workplace violence because of the colour of my skin throughout my entire career with the federal government,” wrote Pierre. .“Although my career could be viewed as a successful one which may lead to the conclusion that equality of opportunity and inclusion is real and full-fledged for Black public service workers, this is not the case. Racism is so entrenched and rooted in the culture that, for many years, my survival strategy was to learn to live with it.”.On May 15, Chris Aylward, the national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said that unacceptable behaviour was happening regularly..Systemic discrimination “runs so deep in Canada’s public service,” said Aylward..Black employees “told us firsthand that systemic discrimination has existed in Canada’s public service for decades,” said Aylward. .“What’s a path forward to rebuilding trust?” asked Sen. Wanda Thomas Bernard (NS). .“Certainly, it has to start at the top,” replied Aylward..In a report from Citizenship and Immigration Canada, it was found that there were complaints of prejudice and discrimination at work. The report Anti-Racism Employee Focus Groups was published in 2021..“These problems do exist,” Immigration Minister Sean Fraser earlier told MPs..Focus groups detailed incidents in which managers referred to an office where Black employees worked as “the ghetto,” discussed the perceived sexual attributes of “Black girls,” asked to pat Black employees’ hair and described African countries as “the dirty 30.”.Other managers were quoted as remarking “indigenous people are lazy” and that Mexican immigrants “just come here to collect social insurance.” .The report stated “the problem is so deeply rooted in the organizational culture and in the values of people in power who have held it for a long time and are not likely to change.”
