Montreal blue-collar employees allege systemic racism on the job, search compensation

MONTREAL – Workers employed in a Montreal district say they are seeking compensation from the city after two reports earlier this spring revealed allegations of widespread discrimination against blacks and other racist workers.

Celeste, a longtime worker in the Montreal North district who refused to give his last name for fear of reprisals, says Black and other racialized district employees are being passed over for opportunities because managers prefer to hire whites. He says he has been banned from training, done minor work below his seniority level, and faced racist comments about the job.

The constant rejection and humiliation over the years has affected his sleep, his marriage, and most importantly, his morale. “It was like something that was inside of me had been taken away from me,” Celeste said in a recent interview. “I had to have this spirit successfully in order to go further.”

About 40 of Montreal North’s racial workers have urged their union to file complaints about moral and other damage related to wage and social loss and attacks on their dignity, Fo Niemi of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations said in a recent statement Interview. Niemi’s group supports the workers in their quest for compensation from the city.

The unions’ complaints follow the release of two reports commissioned earlier this year that revealed that Black and other racialized Montreal North District workers allegedly faced unfair and discriminatory recruitment practices that prevented them from doing better Get jobs and pay.

Celeste and another long-time Montreal North District agent told the Canadian press that she and her black colleagues have been exposed to racist comments at work and have been denied the same opportunities that white colleagues are offered.

The city of Montreal has recognized the existence of systemic racism within its public service and says it is working with the district to improve diversity and inclusion. In a recent statement, the city said it would assist the district in implementing all of the recommendations of the two reports, adding that a diversity and inclusion advisor had been hired to oversee the process.

But Niemi and the workers say Montreal needs to do more than change its culture: it needs to compensate workers who have been discriminated against. “If you really stand up for systemic racism, it is not about changing systems and guidelines, but also about supporting the victims,” ​​said Niemi.

Luc Bisson, president of the Montreal Workers’ Union, confirmed that complaints had been made based on the reports, but could not confirm their nature.

Celeste said he faced discrimination on two occasions when applying for a permanent position in the Montreal North district for which he qualified. The first time, he said, the post was removed and later republished. In the second case, the position was re-advertised to include qualifications he did not have. It went to a white employee who was less senior, he said.

The first report, commissioned by the city’s General Comptroller and published in April, described a longstanding climate of tension among workers. Workers report “almost unanimously of unjust or discriminatory treatment,” according to the report by Tania Sabia, an industrial relations expert at the Université de Montréal.

The second report, produced by an expert appointed by the union, documented the same problems as the first. The report, written by Professor Angelo Soares at the Université du Québec à Montréal, concluded that the allegations of discrimination against workers were “well founded” and called on the City of Montreal, the county and the union to take “urgent” action, to correct them.

Sabia’s report looked at driving a heavy truck for the city – which workers consider to be one of the better jobs in the district and a key to getting ahead in the administration. The district, Sabia said, required employees who wish to drive trucks to pass a test that involves securing a truck to a trailer – even if that skill isn’t part of the job description – a requirement that racist employees see as a barrier.

A Haitian employee for the Montreal North District told The Canadian Press that many immigrants failed the course because they did not have a cultural background where trailer driving is common. “We had to tell the trainer that immigrants do not fish or hunt,” said the employee, who did not want to be identified for fear of reprisals, in an interview. “When we’re off, we do different things. It’s like expecting everyone to enjoy hockey.”

The employee said the district does not offer training for employees in trailer driving. As a result, the associate said, some Haitian workers have had to struggle to find someone outside of work to teach them or suffer the humiliation of failing the course and being permanently relegated to subordinate or physical work such as emptying trash cans.

A third white county official told The Canadian Press that he was suspended from his employer after speaking out about the unequal treatment of his colleagues. He confirmed that a group of employees are hoping for financial compensation.

Sabia made a number of recommendations, including that the city conduct a full study of internal relationships in the community. He also recommended that the city clarify the hiring process and ensure that all employees have an equal chance of success in the courses offered to achieve specific positions.

While Sabia’s report found the city had improved its processes, none of the three Montreal North workers interviewed by The Canadian Press said they had noticed positive changes.

Celeste said that if he successfully receives compensation, he will consider quitting his job and leaving Montreal to find better working conditions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on July 12, 2021.