Learning from the past to build a better future of racial equity in the Canadian labour movement
Unions and labour organizations across the world are the standard bearers of progressive ideology and practices. We are strong advocates for inclusivity for all marginalized communities, with the mandate to protect and champion disadvantaged peoples.
While we should take pride in our accomplishments and ongoing efforts to create a better world, we must recognize this has not always been the case. The history of the labour movement in Canada and across the world is, unfortunately, steeped in exclusivity and marginalization of oppressed communities. Though we have come a long way, there is further to go, and acknowledging the problems in our past is one step towards building a better union.
“AUPE members are a force for dignity and justice for all. We are committed to building equitable workplaces and communities,” says AUPE Vice-President Bobby-Joe Borodey.
In the early days of the labour movement, Canadian unions deliberately implemented policies of exclusion and segregation. Only allowing white men to become members was an explicit part of union charters. Racial discriminatory practices perpetrated by employers were exacerbated by unions that not only refused to represent racialized workers, but actively worked to oppress these marginalized workers to the benefit of white men.
White employers and white unionists had an intersection of interests that amounted to an assault on racialized workers’ rights. They relegated racialized workers to a select few occupations that were significantly underpaid and had worse working conditions than the positions available to their white counterparts. This allowed employers to benefit from the ghettoization of low wage work that created larger profit margins. White workers benefited from a lack of competition for higher wage jobs and the maintenance of a hierarchy based on racial segregation.
Racialized workers had a lot of capacity and strength, of course, so they self-organized and formed their own unions. Even when racialized workers self-organized and created their own unions, they were denied affiliation and inclusion with larger white-only labour organizations.
“As we try to build a more inclusive movement, it is so important that we reflect on the history of exclusion that we are trying so hard to correct and move forward from,” says Borodey. “The reality is that our history of advocacy for workers’ rights has not always applied equitably to all workers. AUPE is committed to rectifying the mistakes of the past and making a concerted effort to build and support a diverse movement that reflects our membership.”
The 20th century saw a progression of growing inclusivity. Union membership and practices mirrored the shift in societal perceptions of racialized peoples and reflected the changing demographics of employment in unionized industries. Civil rights movements and shifting workforce representation occurred across the world, including Canada.
This progress narrowed the divide between racialized and white workers, but injustice remains. As recently as 1999, a report to the Canadian Labour Congress found that only 22% of racialized workers were covered by a collective agreement, considerably lower than the average of 32% for all other workers. Another report in 2006 found that “men and women of colour are less likely to be covered by a union contract than white women and men”. Yet another study conducted in the early 2000s found that “workers of colour are more willing to join unions compared to the entire population of unorganized workers,” so there is a clear disconnect between racialized workers’ drive to join unions and Labour’s efforts to organize them.
Borodey says it is important to acknowledge that racialized workers continue to face significant hurdles that white workers do not face, if at all.
“It is heartbreaking to see the disparity that exists between racialized workers and white workers,” she says. “The adverse impact on racialized workers—from factors white people simply do not face—clearly indicates a divide, and we must make every effort to bridge that divide.”
A recent study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that from 2020 to 2021, 28% of Indigenous families and 31% of racialized families experienced economic insecurity, whereas only 16% of white families experienced the same. The same study highlighted the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on racialized workers, showing racialized workers “were more concentrated in industries that were most likely to suffer job losses from the pandemic and they were more concentrated in frontline occupations at high risk of infection.”
So how can we move forward? AUPE members are dedicated to improving conditions for racialized workers, but we must acknowledge that all labour organizations can do more to improve their equity and inclusion practices. There are concrete steps and actions that AUPE and fellow unions can take.
Reflecting the membership
Authentic inclusivity calls for those who hold positions of power to be an accurate representation of the diversity of the members they represent. One might argue that elected officials self-select by putting their names on a ballot and it is difficult to elect a racialized representative when few run for the position. That is true to an extent. The reality is a damaging feedback loop—if racialized workers do not see diverse representation in their leadership, they feel like that is the way things are, so they can be discouraged from seeking leadership themselves. This pattern then repeats itself.
One solution to this is a targeted and concerted effort to mentor and encourage burgeoning leaders to grow their understanding, capacity, and confidence in seeking elected office. To enact even more meaningful changes, leadership positions should be reserved for racialized members. This principle would apply equally to all levels of representation through a union’s structures. In short, local, chapter, and union executives as well as negotiating teams should mirror the membership.
Set targets and track progress
It is important to establish metrics of success to ensure we make progress and grow our diversity, equity, and inclusion practices. Diversity commitments are often vague, and many organizations make statements or set broad and general goals without establishing the actual goal posts. We need clear, measurable strategies. Evaluating successful diversity, equity, and inclusion practices may seem difficult, but can be simplified through simple questions. Are there more racialized elected representatives? Has the proportion of racialized members to white members grown? How many internal policies impacting racialized members have been implemented?
Meet people where they’re at
Experienced union activists know that organizing tactics need to change based on the workplace and workers they are organizing. Of course, this also applies to organizing racialized and ethnocultural communities. There are key methods that we can use to increase success when organizing with racialized workers. By identifying racialized champions in the workplace, mapping the workplace, and encouraging them to have one-on-one conversations, we can make use of existing relationships among racialized workers. In-language communications and outreach materials can be helpful for those workers with limited English language skills. Most importantly, unions must also employ staff who represent the racialized populations they are trying to organize; they bring language skills, cultural experience, familiarity and connection to the workers.
“While AUPE fosters a diverse and inclusive environment for racialized members, we are always actively seeking new paths to improve,” says Bobby-Joe. “We know that there is work yet to be done and are committed to walking the road to inclusivity.”
There is no single approach to increasing inclusivity and diversity in the labour movement, and the above is by no means an exhaustive list. We start by acknowledging that a problem exists and breaking that problem down into its parts and addressing each part individually. Having acknowledged the history and practices that have inhibited inclusion, AUPE members can identify what has held us back and work towards change and growth. The most important step in finding effective solutions is recognizing that issues exist and using our solidarity to organize and make a difference.