Advocate urges feds to update equity act, settle class action with Black employees

Nicholas Marcus Thompson, president and CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, is urging the Canadian federal government to update the Employment Equity Act to better address the needs of Black employees and to cease contesting a class-action lawsuit alleging systemic racism. Thompson notes that changes to the Act are overdue following the 2023 announcement of Black and LGBTQ+ people as new designated groups, intended to ensure proportional representation in federally regulated workplaces. The current Act requires employers to eliminate barriers for designated groups, but Thompson believes further updates are necessary.

Currently, the government is reviewing feedback from consultations regarding potential changes to the law, according to Jessica Lacombe, a spokesperson for Employment and Social Development Canada. However, Thompson is also pressing for a settlement in the class-action lawsuit launched in 2020 by Black public servants who claim to have experienced systemic racism.

A Federal Court judge previously dismissed a motion to certify the lawsuit, but the plaintiffs are appealing that decision. The legal battle has already cost the government over $15 million, and Thompson argues that settling the case and updating the equity act would demonstrate a commitment to addressing racial discrimination.

(Source：CHEK News)