Systemic racism: Montreal investigated in 24 hours
The blue-collar union demonstrated in front of City Hall, to ask Montreal to act against racism within the administration .
Following allegations of systemic racism against employees, the City of Montreal attempted to document the facts of racism and discrimination in its administrations in 24 hours, reveals Le Devoir.
Despite the rejection of a motion from the municipal opposition calling for an independent investigation into municipal systemic racism, the Plante administration sent an email the same day to its various departments and divisions, urging them to report all the racism and discrimination cases of 2022, within one day.
The request for information from the central city called for all complaints, whether formal or informal, as well as grievances and denunciations relating to cases of racism, discrimination and harassment to be brought together. psychological or sexual.
The email was sent by the Direction générale de la Ville de Montréal to municipal services and divisions on March 20, with the deadline being the following day, the 21st. In the email, viewed by Le Duty, the administration justifies this census by the revelations of daily life.
The Le Devoir investigation showed that racialized employees experienced discrimination and racism without really taking their complaints seriously, that the number dedicated to racism was inactive and that executives from Saint- Léonard made racist remarks, in training, with complete impunity.
At the last meeting of the city council, the mayoress of Montreal, Valérie Plante, had also declared that “the hour is no longer to documentation, but to action”. On March 21, a demonstration by blue-collar workers from the City took place, demanding that they be able to work with the victimized employees and the City on this subject.
The unions have therefore asked Montreal to go into action mode and take action against systemic racism. The municipal opposition, Ensemble Montréal, is calling for an independent investigation. On Monday, the party will react in the morning to these new revelations, during a press scrum.
