SUMMARY REPORT for the Engagement Sessions for a Racism-Free

SUMMARY REPORT for the Engagement Sessions for a Racism-Free Workplace (Focus Groups, Workshops and Partnerships) By John Samuel and Associates Inc. For Labour Program Human Resources and Social Development Canada March 2006 The activities summarized in this report, and the preparation of the report itself have been supported by the Labour Program - Human Resources and Social Development Canada as the first step in developing its Racism-Free Workplace Strategy. The description and summary of perspectives of stakeholders during these consultations is provided by John Samuel and Associates Incorporated, as sole authors. This report represents the views of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Human Resources and Social Development Canada. 2 Executive Summary Introduction This report presents the findings of a national Engagement Plan for a Racism-Free Workplace. The Engagement Plan consisted of a series of focus group sessions, workshops and discussions with partners. Consultation and educational sessions were held in eight cities across Canada (Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax) with employers, unions and representatives of civil society1. The Engagement Plan took place between January 31 and March 15, 2005. Approximately 700 people participated in these sessions. This report also includes the views of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), following consultations in May 2005. Background The Government of Canada’s, A Canada for All: Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism commits the government to removing race-related barriers in the workplace and in the community and consult racial and ethnic groups on the development of public policy to achieve this objective. Under this plan, the federal government identified $56 million over the next five years to implement an ambitious anti-racism plan spanning four government departments. Of that amount, an estimated $13 million will be devoted to eliminating racism in the workplace.2 The Engagement Plan for a Racism-Free Workplace and is an important element of the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy and forms part of the Labour Program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada’s (HRSDC) initiative to end race-based discrimination in the workplace faced by Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. This Engagement Plan is part of the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy. The strategy is a five-year project, beginning in fiscal year 2004–05, that aims to develop new measures, practical tools and best practices that will be promoted and shared, with the aim of removing discriminatory barriers in the Canadian labour market are eliminated. This Engagement Plan, along with pre-consultations, research and communications, formed the first-year’s activities, the results of which will provide a basis for developing concrete activities to achieve racism-free workplaces. The focus for the Strategy is on employers covered by the expanded mandate of the Employment Equity Act, which includes federally-regulated private sector employers and employers with contracts with federal government. It should be noted that the Employment Equity Act is subject to a statutory review every five years by a Parliamentary committee. The next review is expected to start towards the end of 2006. 1 Civil society consists of voluntary organizations representing Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities, including immigrant aid organizations as well as academics, employment equity practitioners and other professionals with an interest in human resource management in the organizations covered in this project. 2 http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/news/ 3 Current Employment Equity Situation in Canada The number of immigrants to Canada from European countries has diminished. Asia, Africa and Latin America now account for a rising number of newcomers to Canada. Several Statistics Canada studies point to major increases in the number of members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples forming part of the Canadian population in the coming years, which will account for a large proportion of the growth in the labour force. There is abundant evidence that members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples face barriers in gaining access to jobs for which they are qualified and that their talents, education and abilities are too often underutilized. A survey commissioned by the Dominion Institute and conducted by Ipsos-Reid to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, 2005 found that 17% of Canadian adults or approximately 4 million people consider themselves as having been the victims of racism3 in their communities or workplaces. Issues of concern include lack of recognition of educational credentials and work experience acquired abroad, under-employment, unemployment and unequal pay. If the abilities and talents of all Canadians are to be fully engaged in creating a productive economy and a healthy society, then it is essential to ensure that the workplace is fair and inclusive for all Canadians. An examination of statistical trends in the employment situation of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities covered under LEEP showed that although the two groups lag behind the majority in many areas, they have made significant progress, albeit uneven. The proportion of Aboriginal employees in these firms went up from 0.8% in 1990 to 1.7% in 2002 and the proportion of employees belonging to visible minorities increased from 7.1% to 12.2% over the same period. Improvements were also noted in their levels of hiring and promotion. There are economic and social imperatives to eliminating racial discrimination in the workplace. High costs, both to the organization and to society, are associated with the practice of discrimination. “It is estimated that the elimination of the wage gap between visible minorities and the average wage of all Canadian workers would increase real GDP by 1% by 2016.4 The impact is similar, but to a lesser extent, for Aboriginal peoples. The challenge is to engage every sector of Canadian society in building equal opportunities in the labour market. Focus Group Findings The findings from the consultations are summarized under four topics: • • • • Barriers to workplace entry; Barriers to job retention; Barriers to career advancement; and Regional variations. It should be noted that the findings of the workshop sessions are not summarized in this executive summary since they generally mirror the views expressed at the focus sessions. 3 Ipsos News Center. http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=2602. March 21, 2005 4 Making a Visible Difference: The Contribution of Visible Minorities to Canada’s Economic Growth, Conference Board of Canada, April 2004. 4 Barriers to Workplace Entry Common barriers were discovered between recent visible minority immigrants and Aboriginal peoples, particularly young people moving off reserves to urban centres. Both faced language and cultural barriers, the need to find housing, the lack of community and family support and a lack of awareness of available employment opportunities. Participants in all focus groups repeatedly mentioned hidden or covert racism as well as overt racism in the workplace. For example, people talked about the unofficial screening of résumés based on foreignsounding names. Other participants mentioned that members of visible minorities are often considered over-qualified for jobs, while Aboriginal peoples are considered under-qualified. Some participants believed that this could be a pretext to circumvent job competition processes. Barriers to Aboriginal peoples in today’s labour market were seen as the continuation of a long-standing pattern of negative stereotyping. Lack of education and appropriate training were also frequently cited as barriers. Participants spoke about the chronic under-funding and poor quality of education on reserves. Although the last residential school was closed in the 1980s, some participants said that a generation of children would continue to experience low self-esteem and other difficulties, which are barriers to meaningful employment. The greatest barrier for members of visible minorities seeking employment was seen to be the nonrecognition of immigrants’ qualifications and the absence of adequate assessments of prior learning.5 This was discussed frequently across the country. It appeared most acute in Toronto and Montreal. Language skills and proficiency were another difficulty, particularly in Québec. The system of union hiring halls in some provinces was regarded as a barrier for members of visible minorities as well as Aboriginal peoples. Religious discrimination was mentioned as a barrier, particularly for Muslims. A recurring theme in the focus group consultations was the hierarchy of racism, with Blacks at the bottom of the ladder. Participants thought that refugees faced increased problems, given that many of them have experienced great trauma in their home countries. They often lack trust in government and the police due to negative experiences, making them reluctant to ask for help from government agencies. Participants mentioned mentoring as a way for visible minority and Aboriginal professionals to get help in entering the workforce. For example, people who have succeeded in breaking the barriers for themselves could assist others overcoming similar barriers. Commitment from senior management to the goal of a racism-free workplace was seen as a high priority and vital to reducing racism. One suggestion was that companies be required to have at least one visible minority or Aboriginal person on their boards of directors. Participants often stressed that the problem of racism in the workplace will not be solved without dealing first with the underlying problem of racism in Canadian society as a whole. Suggestions were made to begin teaching the benefits of diversity in public schools. Participants thought that similar education efforts should be continued in the workplace. 5 It should be noted that while the focus of the project was on visible minorities, most of the visible minority participants were also immigrants; therefore overlap in the findings for visible minorities and immigrants exists. 5 Barriers to Job Retention Finding a job was seen as only the first step for members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples. In order to keep a job, they must then learn about the cultural traditions in the Canadian workplace. Participants thought that many of the jobs held by members of the two designated groups were more often non-permanent positions. Some participants spoke of the “sticky floor” phenomenon where people were stuck in low-paying, entry-level jobs. Workplace isolation was identified as a serious problem for Aboriginal employees. It was said that with few Aboriginal employees in most companies, they did not feel part of the team. On-the-job isolation for Aboriginal peoples could be improved by following the Royal Bank’s Royal Eagles program, where volunteers engage in activities that assist Aboriginal staff in adjusting to the workplace. Some participants thought that all managers should receive diversity training and that visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples should also receive training about the Canadian workplace culture and employer expectations. Barriers to Career Advancement Career advancement was seen as a central issue for both Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. In time, almost anyone can obtain an entry-level job, but advancement thereafter was significantly more difficult for the two groups. Racism in the workplace was seen as a big obstacle for the career advancement of members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples. It was suggested that these groups are not advised about training, promotion and secondment opportunities. Commitment to employment equity at the senior levels of companies is seen as key to overcoming these barriers. Lack of training and mentoring were also seen as barriers. The “old boys network” was seen as a major stumbling block because Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities are not usually included. Another barrier was the difficulty in proving discrimination; people are reluctant to give evidence against their colleagues and supervisors. The perception is that speaking up for one’s rights is not encouraged in today’s workplace. When speaking of solutions, senior management commitment was often suggested. Participants cited the example of a bank where the employment equity head reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer. Managers’ salaries and bonuses could be tied to employment equity goals. Regional Variations Although there is a high degree of uniformity in the types of barriers and solutions proposed by participants across the country, there are also some variations among regions. For example, participants thought that Halifax had a serious problem of discrimination against the Black community, with a negative effect on job opportunities. In Montreal, many participants thought that Aboriginal peoples and English-speaking members of visible minorities were discriminated against due to the lack of proficiency in French. The Prairie provinces differ in many ways, with one being the large presence of Aboriginal peoples, particularly young people leaving the reserves for urban centres. Calgary is somewhat unique in Canada, in that people have a very optimistic outlook on workforce inclusion, probably due to Alberta’s current economic boom. In Manitoba, participants noted that some partnership arrangements had already proved successful in several sectors. Vancouver’s special problems stem from the fact that it not only has to cope with substantial migration of visible minorities but also has long established communities of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities; moreover visible “minorities” are now a “majority” in some areas. 6 Partnership Findings Participants showed a high level of support for the idea of forming partnerships with stakeholders to solve the problems faced by racial minorities in the workplace. In fact, it was felt that just the first step of sitting around the table and discussing problems would result in progress. The high unemployment rate for Aboriginal peoples in the Prairies was seen as a spur for partnership formation. Participants thought that partnership arrangements could assist with implementation of training programs on career advancement and mentoring programs for Aboriginal peoples. It was thought that partnership development could lead to advice about grievance procedures to alleviate the problem of hostile workplace environments. One of the main challenges outlined by participants was the need to convince key stakeholders of the benefits of eliminating racism in the workplace. Many participants agreed on the conditions needed to make partnerships successful and sustainable. These included shared objectives, responsibility, leadership and commitment, clear communications, trust and openness, measurable performance indicators and the adequate resources. Examples of partnerships that work well are the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreements between the federal government and several Aboriginal groups. Other examples are the agreements that SaskEnergy has had with the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Saskatoon Tribal Council and the Touchwood- File Hills-Qu’Appelle Tribal Council. Since the mid-1990s, these agreements have led to the creation of jobs, education and training for Aboriginal peoples. Among visible minorities, partnerships have been forged with the City of Winnipeg, high schools and the Chamber of Commerce to set up a refugee centre to assist employers looking for agricultural labourers. Participants thought that partnerships should be developed with trade sectors, particularly for Aboriginal peoples. There should be partnerships among all federal government departments to develop a common front to address issues of racism in the workplace. It was generally agreed that a cross-governmental secretariat should be put in place by the federal government. The two crucial elements needed to jumpstart the racism-free workplace strategy were seen as commitment by both the federal government and employers. Conclusions Despite improvements in the representation of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in the organizations covered under the Employment Equity Act, the two groups lag significantly behind in labour market performance. There is a strong perception that racism—both overt and covert—is an obstacle for racial minorities to labour market integration. This racism is reflected in stereotyping, lack of cultural accommodation, religious and ethnic prejudices and biases. It creates barriers for the two groups in workplace entry, job retention and career advancement. The two groups lack access to informal networks frequently used to hire workers. They often lack job search and interview skills, and are often left out of training, promotional and mentoring opportunities. Aboriginal peoples face challenges in the workplace due to a negative portrayal in the media, poor quality of education on reserves, lingering effects of institutionalization and a feeling of isolation in the workplace after they succeed in getting a job. 7 Members of visible minorities, especially recent immigrants, face problems stemming from the nonrecognition of their qualifications and work experience outside Canada. Weak language skills, ethnic accents and a perception that they are not Canadian also work against them. There appears to be a lack of commitment by senior management to end race-based discrimination in the workplace. This may be due to the fact that the employment equity program is seen to be more processthan results-oriented. Some participants perceived unions and other mechanisms available to deal with complaints of discrimination in the workplace as ineffective. Many stakeholders are not fully aware of the progress made by the two groups under the federal employment equity program. Racism in workplace is a manifestation of racism in society at large and cannot be fought only in the workplace. Key Messages The following is a summary of the key messages resulting from the Engagement Plan. A full list of the key messages is found in Chapter 6. 1. The five-year review of the Employment Equity Act should be used as an occasion to shift its emphasis from process to outcomes. 2. More accountability is needed for management to show tangible, measurable progress for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities, not only with respect to overall representation but also in promotions and representation at the senior management level. 3. Labour unions, similar to employers, should be covered under the provisions of the Act. 4. Firms covered under the FCP should be subject to regular reporting requirements to measure progress. 5. More support should be provided to employers to achieve a racism-free workplace. Educational material (e.g., information packages) should be prepared to assist employers in identifying racist behaviour and practices in the workplace and how to deal with them. These tools should be aimed at creating a welcoming environment for a culturally diverse workforce. Workshop material used during the sessions could be used as a starting point for this information package. Information packages should include success stories of organizations fighting workplace racism. 6. Partnerships between employers and designated groups should be encouraged. Studies should examine existing partnerships. Pilot projects could be undertaken to test potential models. 7. There is a need to focus on sub-groups within Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities who have been less successful than others in the workplace. Pilot projects may be undertaken to test new approaches. 8 8. The federal government should intensify its efforts to coordinate prior learning assessment for immigrants to Canada. This being an issue largely under provincial jurisdiction, the public should be informed of the responsibilities of the federal and provincial jurisdictions, respectively. 9. A communications strategy should be developed to increase public awareness in general and employer awareness in particular about the benefits of creating a racism-free workplace and the ongoing social and economic costs of continued racism. 10. There is a need for greater support for organizations seeking to help Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities in the workplace. There are significant differences with respect to the kind and quantity of support needed by various groups across the country. The need for support also varies among the various stakeholders. For example, First Nations groups may be better organized and resourced than the Métis and Inuit; some visible minority groups are less organized and need greater support than others. 11. The consultation process should be extended to include remote areas and groups (e.g., Inuit who did not participate adequately during the consultation process). 12. In some cases, it may be necessary to use individual interviews instead of group consultations to solicit input from those who may be uncomfortable participating in group discussions on this issue. 13. The consultation process should be extended to include other levels of government, both provincial and municipal, as significant stakeholders in achieving a racism-free workplace. 14. There should be a single federal department/agency responsible for coordinating and leading the fight against racism in the workplace. 9 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………...3 1. 2. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 3. 3.1 3.2 3.3 4. 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 5. 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 6. 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 7. 8. 8.1 8.2 Introduction……………………………………………………………………….11 Background………………………………………………………………………..13 Context………………………………………………………………………….......13 Objectives of the Engagement Plan…………………………………………….......14 Approach to the Engagement Plan………………………………………………….15 Participation of the Canadian Labour Congress……………………………………15 Current Employment Equity Situation in Canada…………………………......16 Recent Statistics…………………………………………………………………....16 Progress under the Employment Equity Act………………………………………..17 Economic Imperative………………………………………………………………18 Focus Group Findings…………………………………………………………....21 Entry into the Workplace………………………………………………………......21 Job Retention……………………………………………………………………….35 Career Advancement……………………………………………………………….37 Regional Variations……………………………………………………………......43 Benefits of a Racism-free Workplace……………………………………………...45 Workshop Findings………………………………………………………………49 Purpose………………………………………………………………………….....49 Setting……………………………………………………………………………...50 Themes………………………………………………………………………….....50 General Views ……………………………………………………………………52 Regional Views……………………………………………………………………53 Partnership Findings…………………………………………………………….55 Need for Partnerships……………………………………………………………..55 Challenges………………………………………………………………………...56 Elements of a Partnership………………………………………………………....56 Canadian Examples……………………………………………………………….57 Future Directions………………………………………………………………....59 Conclusions……………………………………………………………………....61 Key Messages …………………………………………………………………..63 General Messages…………………………………………………………………63 CLC Participants’ Key Messages and Proposed Next Steps……………………..67 10 1. Introduction In 2004/05 the Labour Program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, began the first year of the “Racism-Free Workplace Strategy.” The objective of the strategy is to help employers and other stakeholders (labour unions and civil society organizations) remove discriminatory barriers to the employment and advancement of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Initial activities in year one aimed at developing the strategy include: 1) Engagement sessions with stakeholders to encourage public involvement in and input to the development of the strategy; 2) Research on the evidence and impact of workplace racism and on existing relevant policies and practices; 3) Communication and education products; 4) Partnerships with federal departments and agencies. John Samuel & Associates consultants were retained to conduct the engagement sessions with stakeholders (employers, members of civil society, unions, and other government departments and agencies) in Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax. After the conclusion of these sessions, John Samuel & Associates, along with professional editors and academics, prepared this report summarizing the discussions to be distributed to all participants. 1) The engagement sessions comprised a series of workshops and partnership development exercises. Workshops were designed as training modules using case studies, group discussions to stimulate debate around key themes (such as the barriers and solutions to the employment of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities). Partnership exercises, the second aspect of the engagement sessions, were tailored to develop synergy amongst stakeholders, focussing on what motivates partnerships, characteristics of successful partnerships and how to sustain them, and overcoming barriers to the creation and maintenance of partnerships. 2) The research component, not part of this summary report, included papers on: • policies, programs and practices designed to achieve employment equity for Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities; • the situation of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples in Canada’s major cities; and • barriers and solutions to the employment of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. (Summaries of research items are available at HRSDC’s website). 3) The communication and education track has resulted in production of a CD-ROM and booklets of summary documents produced in 2004/05. A DVD and short videos on antiracism, a brochure, and a compendium on anti-racism terms, are planned in 2006-07 and 2007-08. 11 4) The fourth track of the first year of the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy involved the development of partnerships with federal government departments which were successfully launched by the Labour Program – HRSDC in 2004-05 with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (Metropolis Project), Public Service Human Resources Management Agency Canada, the National Film Board, and the Canadian Human Rights Commission. These departments and agencies handle the anti-racism issue from other vantage points, and contribute to the government-wide Action Plan Against Racism, led by the Department of Canadian Heritage. The following pages summarize the views of the stakeholders who participated in the engagement sessions during the winter of 2005. They represent feedback received from participants to develop a strategy to address racism and discrimination in the Canadian workplace. 12 2. Background Context 2.1 This Engagement Plan is part of the Racism-Free Workplace Strategy. The strategy is driven by the Labour Program of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) to address the race-based discrimination in the workplace faced by Aboriginal peoples6 and members of Canada’s visible minorities.7 The program falls under the broad mandate given to HRSDC under the Employment Equity Act . The Minister of Labour and Housing has responsibility for administrating the Act, which addresses discriminatory workplace practices and employment barriers that affect four designated groups—Aboriginal peoples, women, persons with a disability and members of visible minorities. The Act covers organizations and firms subject to the two federal programs with a mandate to implement employment equity in the workplace—the Legislated Employment Equity Program (LEEP) and the Federal Contractors Program (FCP). LEEP encompasses employers with 100 or more employees under federal jurisdiction—mainly banking, transportation and communications. In addition to private sector employers, LEEP also covers federal crown corporations in these sectors, such as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The FCP applies to any employer with 100 or more workers who bids on a federal contract worth $200,000 or more. In addition to private sector employers, the Act covers organizations in the federal public sector. The Strategy for a Racism-Free Workplace is a five-year project, beginning in fiscal year 2004– 05. At the launch of the strategy, the Minister of Justice, Irwin Cotler, announced on March 25, 2005 that “The Racism-Free Workplace Strategy (HRSDC, Labour Program) builds on existing employment equity measures; the Strategy will develop new measures, practical tools and best practices that will be promoted and shared, ensuring discriminatory barriers in the Canadian labour market are eliminated.” This Engagement Plan, along with pre-consultations, research and communications, comprised the first-year activities, with the results providing a basis for developing concrete activities to achieve racism-free workplaces. The Racism-Free Workplace Strategy is driven by an action plan against racism. On March 21, 2005, the Government of Canada announced A Canada for All: Canada’s Action Plan Against Racism. Under this plan, the federal government identified $56 million over the next five years to implement an ambitious anti-racism plan spanning four government departments. Of that amount, an estimated $13 million will be devoted to eliminating racism in the workplace.8 The Action Plan is the result of several years of study and discussions with groups representing minorities across the country. 6 Aboriginal identity refers to those persons reporting membership in at least one of the three Aboriginal groups: North American Indian, Métis and Inuit. 7 The Employment Equity Act defines visible minorities as “persons other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour.” 8 http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/news/ 13 It should be noted that the Employment Equity Act is subject to a statutory review by a Parliamentary committee every five years. The next review is expected to start towards the end of 2006, making it an appropriate time to seek public input on employment equity issues. 2.2 Objectives of the Engagement Plan The objectives of the Engagement Plan were to: • • Identify and examine the perspectives of employers, unions and voluntary sector organizations concerning the nature of racism in the workplace; Examine how workplace practices and policies can exclude or limit full participation of members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples through impacts on entry, retention and advancement; Examine ways to counteract employment barriers based on race; Provide training and tools to stakeholders to address various aspects of workplace discrimination based on race; and Develop and foster partnerships among stakeholders. • • • In support of these objectives, the plan sought to answer the following questions: • What are the typical barriers to workplace entry that are experienced by Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities? What barriers are specific to each group? What solutions work best to overcome them? What are the typical barriers to job retention experienced by Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities? What barriers are specific to each group? What solutions work best to overcome them? What are the typical barriers to career advancement experienced by Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities? What are the barriers specific to each group? What solutions work best to overcome them? Are stakeholders familiar with the economic case for diversity and economic equity? What are the most effective ways of organizing training workshops for stakeholders to create understanding of what factors contribute to a racism-free workplace? How would stakeholders build partnerships to meet the challenges of removing racism in the workplace? What are their views on the formation and maintenance of successful partnerships to achieve this goal? • • • • • 14 2.3 Approach to the Engagement Plan The focus group consultations were the major source of information on the barriers faced by Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in the workplace. These sessions were also used to elicit stakeholders’ solutions to the barriers. The workshops were used primarily for group education and training. The workshops were interactive, involving learning on both sides. Their objectives were to examine racism in the workplace; to discover how workplace policies and practices exclude Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities and to look at ways to counteract race-based employment barriers. Using several methods to elicit comments, the groups discussed case studies on racial discrimination under the guidance of the moderators. Current workplace practices and procedures were examined with a view to finding solutions to workplace barriers. Three workshops were available to participants: “From policies to practice – From realities to remedies;” “The business challenge: Good practices at work;” and “Implementing employment equity: A step-by-step approach.” At the end of the workshop sessions, participants were asked to assess the usefulness of these sessions. The design of each element of the engagement session allowed participants choices, such as plenary sessions, consultations, workshops and partnership sessions relevant to a racism-free workplace. Covering the eight cities in different regions also meant challenges of subjective and objective factors in each region, bearing in mind that workplaces differ, as do stakeholders’ expectations and awareness of the desired outcomes. In addition, Aboriginal peoples’ needs often are different from visible minorities’ needs. The sessions on partnerships were used to lay the groundwork for creating sustainable partnerships of stakeholders in each region. Participants provided a variety of experiences and suggestions with respect to creating the appropriate environment for the formation of partnerships for furthering the cause of a racism-free workplace. 2.4 Participation of the Canadian Labour Congress The CLC is an umbrella organization for the majority of national and international unions in Canada, including 12 provincial and territorial federations, 137 district labour councils, more than 100 unions and 3 million unionized workers. The CLC is a key partner in the development of Labour’s Racism-Free Workplace Strategy, having been active in the anti-racism area since 1994. The CLC has established a taskforce, written reports and developed policies to encompass this issue. A separate section within the CLC was created to fight racism with dedicated staff and budget, adopting a holistic approach to combating racism. The CLC also has an international perspective. UNESCO and the World Conference on racism in 2001 have recognized CLC’s work. The CLC takes the issues raised at international conferences and determines how they can be implemented in Canada. Ongoing communication with the CLC took place in 2004–05 around the Strategy. CLC members, officials and affiliates participated in cross-Canada meetings and engagement sessions that were held in January and May 2005. Senior management of Labour-HRSDC held a consultation session with officials and affiliates of the CLC in May 2005. The report presents the results of these consultations, under the appropriate topic heading. 15 3. Current Employment Equity Situation in Canada Recent Statistics 3.1 Canada’s demographic profile has undergone a radical change in the last few decades and is expected to change further in the coming years, especially with respect to its working-age population. An aging population and low fertility rates mean that Canadians are not reproducing at a replacement rate. Canada will be increasingly dependent on immigrants and underutilized groups, such as Aboriginal peoples, to meet the demands of the labour market. It is also known that the number of immigrants from European countries has declined significantly. Canada is becoming increasingly dependent on the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America to fulfil its immigration needs. Data from past censuses show that the visible minority population is growing much faster than the total population. Between 1996 and 2001, the total population increased 4% while the visible minority population rose 25%, or six times faster. According to Statistics Canada population projections, roughly one out of every five people in Canada, or between 19% and 23% of the nation's population, could be a member of a visible minority by 2017, when Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary. In 2001, 13.4% of the population identified themselves as belonging to a visible minority group as defined in the Employment Equity Act.9 Furthermore, the Aboriginal population is growing at a much higher rate than the total Canadian population—between 1991 and 2016; the number of Aboriginal peoples is expected to increase by 50%.10 Visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples face barriers in the labour market and weaker employment outcomes. This is partially attributed to: • • • Discrimination and racism; Differences in human capital endowment such as level of education; and Conditions resulting from business cycles. For Aboriginal persons, the unemployment rate in 2001 was 19.1% compared to 7.1% for nonAboriginal persons. The labour force participation rate of Aboriginal peoples was six points lower than that for the rest of the labour force. Aboriginal men had a higher unemployment rate compared to Aboriginal women. The Métis experienced a lower unemployment rate (though double the rate for non-Aboriginal persons) than First Nations off reserves and the Inuit, who had the highest unemployment rate. According to the 2001 census, the Métis also had higher incomes than First Nations and Inuit groups. The Annual Report of the Employment Equity Act for 2003 shows that there were 1.7% Aboriginal employees in the firms covered by the Act in 2002. Compared to their availability in the Canadian labour force of 2.6% in 2001, they remain significantly under-represented in ten 9 The Daily, Statistics Canada. March 22, 2005. 10 As quoted by Samuel, John, Constantine Passaris, Lloyd Stanford and Cyril Dabydeen in 21st Century Canadian Diversity (Ed. Stephen Nancoo), Educator’s Press, 2000 16 occupations and severely under-represented in one occupation, namely, senior managers, at 32% of their labour market availability. More Aboriginal persons were terminated from their jobs than those hired. This was in keeping with the worsening trend between 1995 and 1999 in terminations and hiring and reversed the positive net results in 2001 and 2002. The average income for both Aboriginal men and women was below that of non-Aboriginal males. The average income for Aboriginal males in the employment equity firms in 2002 was $51,941 compared to $60,806 for all men. The average income for Aboriginal females was $41,429 compared to $47,481 earned by all women. For members of visible minorities, their unemployment rate in 2001 was 2% higher than that of all Canadian workers. They were more frequently unemployed and worked fewer weeks. According to the Annual Report for the Employment Equity Act for 2003, the percentage of visible minorities in the firms covered by the Act is 12.2%, very close to their availability in the Canadian labour force of 12.6% in 2001.11 Visible minority men in firms covered by the Act earned 92.5% of all men’s salaries and women earned 95.5% of all women’s salaries in 2002. However, 10.7% of visible minority men earned less than $30,000 a year compared to 7.9% of all other men who were employed in firms covered by the Act. Visible minority women remained behind other women in every salary band. The earnings gap in 2001 was greatest for Blacks followed by South Asians. The Canadian-born visible minorities had a lower level of earnings compared to all workers except the Chinese group, which had a positive earnings differential. Visible minorities experienced a substantial gap over their life cycle of earnings compared to nonvisible minorities. Visible minorities are under-represented in both senior and middle management levels. The incidence of poverty of visible minority families was 26% in 2001 compared to the national poverty rate of 12.9%.12 3.2 Progress under the Employment Equity Act The federal government enacted the Employment Equity Act in 1986, which was amended in 1995. The Act requires firms under federal jurisdiction to undertake concrete measures to bring employment equity to four designated groups of workers—women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities. Specifically, the Act requires firms to report annually13 on the employment situation of each of these groups, undertake workforce analysis, develop an employment equity plan and initiate active measures to redress any underrepresentation of these groups in their organization. An analysis of these reports reveals some progress in employment of the designated groups, including Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. 11 The labour market availability for both Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities is based on the 2001 census and is therefore likely to be an underestimate of the availability in 2002. 12 National Visible Minority Council on Labour Force Development, Building our Future Workforce, Ottawa, 2004, P.53 13 Employers under the Federal Contractors Program, who are also required to implement employment equity under an expanded mandate of the Employment Equity Act, are not required to submit annual reports. 17 The overall picture that emerges is one of significant, albeit, uneven progress for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in the firms covered under the Employment Equity Act. This provides a powerful rationale for government intervention to remedy systemic discrimination in the workplace. 3.2.1 Aboriginal Peoples Between 1990 and 2002 there has been significant progress in the employment of Aboriginal persons in firms covered by the Act, both in terms of percentage of total workforce and in relation to their labour market availability.14. Their percentage in the workforce in these firms went up from less than 0.8% in 1990 to 1.7% in 2002. Labour market availability was estimated at 3.0% in 199115 and 2.6% in 2001, which means that their representativity index16 more than doubled from 27% in 1990 to 65 % in 2002. There was less impressive progress in hiring, which went up from 1.4% in 1990 to 1.9% in 2002,17 but which was offset by an increase in terminations from 1.1% in 1990 to 1.9% in 2002. There was also a significant increase in promotions, from 0.8% in 1990 to 1.7% in 2002. The most impressive progress was in the number of Aboriginal senior managers, whose proportion of all senior managers went up from 0.2% in 1990 to 0.8% in 2002. This is however still less than half of their representation in the firms covered by the Act and almost one-third of their labour market availability. 3.2.2 Visible Minorities The proportion of members of visible minorities in the firms covered by the Act went up from 7.1% in 1990 to 12.2% in 2002, compared to their labour market availability in the Canadian labour market of 9.1% in 1991 and 12.6% in 2001. Their representativity index, therefore, went up from 78% to 97% during this period, which is quite close to their availability. Hirings went up from 10.9% of all hirings in 1990 to 12.8% in 2002; these were balanced by a greater increase in their share of terminations, from 6.4% to 11.0%. There was a significant increase in their promotions during the same period, from 11.1% to 15.2% as well as a small increase in the proportion of senior managers from 3.0% to 3.9%. 3.3 Economic Imperative Public policy needs to address racism and discrimination, as Canada cannot afford to continue the status quo if it wants to be more competitive in the new global economy. There are economic and social imperatives to eliminating racial discrimination in the workplace. High costs, both to the organization and society, are associated with the practice of discrimination. “It is estimated that the elimination of the wage gap between visible minorities and the average wage of all Canadian 14 The figures for 1990 are based on permanent full time employment. 15 Labour market availability estimates are available only every five years. 16 Representativity index is the percentage of representation of a group against their availability in the Canadian labour force. 17 Because of the small numbers of Aboriginal peoples in hiring, promotion and in particular occupations, changes over any two points are subject to large fluctuations and should be interpreted with caution. 18 workers would increase real GDP by 1% by 2016.18 The impact is similar, but to a lesser extent, for Aboriginal peoples. The challenge is to engage every sector of Canadian society to build equal opportunities in the labour market. A report released in November 2004 by the Public Policy Forum, which is based on a survey of Canadian employers, suggests that the integration of immigrants (75% of whom are visible minorities) should be an important element of a labour force strategy. It recommends that the “government engage businesses in developing policies and outreach material that will assist both the employer and the immigrant, ensuring that immigrants can reach their full potential in their adoptive country.19 There are a number of reasons why a racism-free workplace strategy would be of benefit to Canada, its economy and society at this juncture. For example: • Employers in federally-regulated industries (primarily banking, communications and transportation) and FCP employers are potential leaders and models for progressive human resource management and institutional change. Changes that employ the labour force potential of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples in these industries could therefore have a catalytic and positive long-term effect on other industries that are not federally regulated. On the other hand, if governments and federally regulated employers do not demonstrate progressive practices, it may be difficult to convince non-regulated employers to move forward. According to the Conference Board of Canada, visible minorities comprised, on average, less than 11% of the labour force between 1992 and 2001, yet they accounted for a third of the labour force’s contribution to Canada’s real GDP growth annually. The report says, “much of the new talents brought by visible minorities are under-utilised because we do not adequately recognize academic or professional credentials obtained abroad. The cost of this failure amounts to between $2 billion and $3 billion annually.”20 • In a rapidly globalizing world where competition among economies is intense, it is necessary to have an economy that underlines productivity rather than privilege. In such an environment, job discrimination based on race is not likely to serve Canada well. Future labour force growth will increasingly come from immigrants who are not from Europe, the U.K. and the U.S. In 2003, less than 12% of immigrants came from these areas,21 compared with 22% in 1993 and 35% in 1983.22 When the visible minority population approaches 20% in 2016, as Statistics Canada has projected, their contribution to Canada’s economic growth will be even more important. • • 18 Making a Visible Difference: The Contribution of Visible Minorities to Canada’s Economic Growth, Conference Board of Canada, April 2004. 19 Public Policy Forum, Canadian Institute of Public Policy, Montreal, 2004. 20 The Conference Board of Canada, Ibid. 21 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, 2004. 22 Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Annual Immigration Statistics. 19 • According to a Public Policy Forum press release, “Although Canadian employers generally have positive attitudes towards immigrants and immigration, many continue to overlook immigrants in their human resource planning, don’t hire immigrants at the level at which they were trained and face challenges trying to integrate recent immigrants into their workforce…”23 • The social costs of discrimination arise from the perception and reality of an unjust society, which leads to a lack of cohesion, discord, alienation and a possible rise in crime rates. These costs are already evident on our reserves and in our inner cities that have a high proportion of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. A survey commissioned by the Dominion Institute and conducted by Ipsos-Reid to mark International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, 2005, found that 17% of Canadian adults, or approximately 4 million people, consider themselves as having been the victims of racism24 in their communities or workplaces. • • Finally, the Employment Equity Act is expected to come up for renewal during the current Parliament. It would be appropriate to seek public consultations in order to consider proposing amendments to the Act, which would improve its effectiveness. A consultative and educational project aimed at developing a racism-free workplace is timely. 23 Public Policy Forum, Press Release, November 3, 2004. 24 Ipsos News Center. http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/pressrelease.cfm?id=2602. March 21, 2005. 20 4. Focus Group Findings This chapter presents the findings based mainly on the focus group sessions, representing the perceptions of participants during these sessions across Canada. It should be noted that these perceptions could be quite subjective, based on personal experience. These perceptions are presented in the report in italics. To put these findings in the proper perspective, they are followed by statistical trends in the employment situation of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities and other supporting views. The views of CLC participants at meetings held in May 2005 are also incorporated under the appropriate topic. This chapter describes: • • • • • Barriers to entry into the workplace; Barriers to job retention; Barriers to career advancement; Regional variations; and Benefits of a racism-free workplace. 4.1 Entry into the Workplace This series of consultations revealed that major barriers existed for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities seeking to enter the workforce in Canada. There was a consensus among the various stakeholders across the country on the types of barriers experienced. 4.1.1 Barriers Typical to Both Groups Confrontation with a new culture, a new language, the need for housing, the absence of support from extended families and communities they are accustomed to and lack of awareness of available jobs are some of the common barriers faced by visible minorities from other countries as well as Aboriginal peoples coming from reserves. These barriers may prevent people from doing a proper job search and often delay adjustment to their new environment. CLC participants noted that barriers for Aboriginal peoples include lack of educational background, lack of information/understanding on the hiring process, lack of role models, and lack of outreach. The question for employers is to know how to disseminate information and advertise vacancies, and how best to reach out to Aboriginal communities. Lack of training is a significant issue for Aboriginal peoples. CLC developed a toolkit to help Aboriginal individuals. It contained policies and agreements to increase their representation. 21 Racism Both hidden and overt racism were repeatedly mentioned in all focus groups. People were kept away from jobs because of “mirror image” hiring, suggesting that there is a zone of comfort among employers in dealing with people who are similar to themselves, especially if they are from the same school. “The old boys network is alive and kicking,” said more than one participant. Many participants thought that corporate culture might lead to poor human resources practices. In an example from a university, it was easy for human resources personnel not to call people or to discard their résumés if the name is deemed too hard to pronounce. People are rejected on the pretext of either being over-qualified or under-qualified. Visible minorities are often considered over-qualified and Aboriginal peoples are often considered under-qualified. Stereotyping was reported against both members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples. An example of stereotyping in Montreal came from the film and video production industry. Until recently, requests for Aboriginal and Black actors were usually to fill undignified and demeaning roles as prostitutes, drunks and street people. A consequence is that these stereotypes become entrenched, particularly due to the influence of television. This is slowly changing, thanks partly to the stand taken by some people and due to the demand from U.S. producers for Blacks in “classy” roles—a reflection of developments south of the border. Several other examples of racist practices were given. In Montreal, a participant noted that when two sets of résumés presented, one with the names Belinda and Kevin and one with Shakira and Jamal, the former will get an interview call but the latter will not. Removing the names from the résumés would result in an interview, but not the job. In Manitoba, it was pointed out that in several jurisdictions, white doctors from South Africa were allowed to practice immediately, while non-white doctors were expected to pass examinations and undergo residency. One cannot divorce hidden racism in the workplace from blatant racism in society. The racism in hiring practices is a direct consequence of societal racism. It was stated that Canadians do not want to deal with their racial problems openly. In the U.S., it is more openly acknowledged that there is a racism problem and an affirmative action program has been enacted to deal with it. Canadians try to hide their racist attitudes with the euphemism of ethnicity. It was stated that the refusal of the white community to give up their place of privilege in Canadian society has a negative impact on Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. According to Statistics Canada studies,25 this is especially true for Blacks in their attempt to obtain an equitable place in society. 25 Statistics Canada: Ethnic Diversity Study conducted in 2002; please see the Daily of September 29, 2003. 22 Cultural Barriers Closely related to racism is the cultural bias, which plays a role in creating barriers to the recruitment of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. The job interview environment as well as the interview questions can be, and often are, culturally biased and/or intimidating. A large team of interviewers may be threatening to an Aboriginal person or an immigrant unused to such practices. CLC participants noted that human resource departments play a key role in identifying barriers to entry and ensuring job postings are appropriate. A key barrier to visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples entering the workforce are the selection boards themselves. Board members often lack diversity training, questions asked are Eurocentric and not inclusive, personality traits expected (e.g. assertiveness) are biased against some visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples. Stereotypes are evident. CLC participants also cited an example of innovative practices within government. People have been recruited and trained to participate in selection boards to ensure they are not biased and are representative. However, to date, people with this training have never been asked to participate in a selection board. CLC participants noted that the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) recognizes indigenous cultures by asking elders to open and close meetings with prayers. Aboriginal traditions are practiced by adopting a consensual approach towards elections. CUPE also participates in traditional ceremonies, such as Pow Wows. There is also a canoe trip between Saskatoon and LaRonge, stopping along the way in the communities, to raise awareness of CUPE. Tokenism Tokenism was also mentioned as a barrier, suggesting complacent attitudes toward improving the representativeness of the workplace. If a visible minority person or an Aboriginal person succeeds, employers and colleagues think that the problem is solved. One participant observed that it was common knowledge among Black lawyers that “if a law firm has one Black lawyer in it, don’t bother applying there.” Informal Hiring Practices Informal hiring practices are major barriers to workplace entry for newcomers. Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities were considered to be disadvantaged because of the lack of connections with networks linked to employment opportunities. Networking is the main source of employment information in most organizations. If visible minorities do not have useful networks and connections, then those seeking jobs suffer. This is compounded by the absence of members of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples in senior positions in most organizations. Hiring panels 23 do not, in general, include Aboriginal peoples or members of visible minorities. When they are included, they may be unwilling or unable to influence hiring decisions in the direction of hiring more members of under-represented groups. A participant from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a CLC affiliate, indicated that some hospitals still seem to have an unwritten “policy” of hiring friends and family of present employees. In the hospital setting, front-line workers might be of diverse backgrounds, but supervisors are of Euro-centric backgrounds. The lack of job search skills on the part of some newcomers, whether from reserves or from other countries, is a further barrier. Some of them are ill prepared to write résumés, establish contacts, send out applications and conduct themselves in an interview in the expected manner. Some people complained that there are too many tests and interviews needed to get a job. Some Aboriginal peoples said, “It’s not worth it.” Inaccurate job descriptions add to problems faced by Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. There is a perception that job qualifications are often tailored to suit specific individuals the organization wants to hire. Inaccurate job descriptions might make Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities think that they are not eligible to apply for an advertised job, even when they are. Job qualifications often do not recognize the valuable work done by Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities in their own communities, including reserves. Lack of Commitment A lack of commitment from senior management to remove racial discrimination in the workplace was generally cited as the biggest barrier for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. The reason given for this lack of commitment was the lack of accountability under employment equity programs. Some participants stated that whenever the senior management, especially the Chief Executive Officer of an organization, made a personal commitment to the cause of improving the workplace situation of minorities, positive results followed. According to some participants, educational and government institutions were the worst with regards to managerial commitment to anti-discrimination policies.26 CLC participants stressed the importance of proper introduction of employment equity programs into the workplace. Some employers established a negative opinion about employment equity and resisted its message. Initial attempts with employment equity programs sometimes fail as preparatory steps to introduce it in the workplace (i.e. debunking myths, etc.) are omitted. Union leadership has been trained to work with members about informing and educating the membership about employment equity. 26 Although the focus was on the private sector, this did not stop participants from expressing their dissatisfaction with public sector employers. Moreover, several participants were from educational institutions covered under the FCP. 24 Language Language was another barrier, especially for visible minorities. Lack of knowledge of both official languages was mentioned as an added jeopardy. Here, too, it was suggested that artificial standards in linguistic proficiency and accents are used as an excuse to keep people out. Language difficulties were mentioned, along with the observation that not all jobs needed language proficiency. It was said that companies in Montreal advertise for jobs in the French media only, even when the vacancy is for cleaners and other unskilled jobs. Even some highly skilled jobs, such as those in information technology, do not require a high degree of language proficiency. A Black woman in Québec said: “I speak fluent French and have a French-sounding name, so I get called for interviews. But when they see me, the expression on their faces seems to say, ‘Oh, you?’” She said she was still jobless. While language is generally acknowledged to be a barrier for visible minority immigrants, it was pointed out that it was also frequently a barrier for Aboriginal peoples raised on reserves. For them, English or French is a second language. For some Aboriginal peoples in Québec, French is often their third language, just as it is for many immigrants. CLC participants also noted that lack of proficiency in both official languages is a barrier for visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples wishing to enter the federal public service. These groups often do not have access to language training. Double Jeopardy Women and youth belonging to Aboriginal peoples and visible minority groups face a double disadvantage when it comes to entering the workplace. Women, especially those belonging to visible minority immigrants often do not enter the workforce immediately after coming to Canada. When they want to enter the workforce after a few years in Canada, they are not eligible for many of the services for newlyarrived immigrants, such as language training. Some Aboriginal youth have special problems because they have faced social and economic challenges. CLC participants noted that amongst Aboriginal youth, unemployment is a major concern. Many aboriginal youth are growing up without hope. They should be looking towards filling the gaps that will appear in the labour market over the next 10 to 15 years, but they need to be supported and nurtured. The workplace needs to be made more welcoming for them. Self-identification Both employers and civil society organizations mentioned reluctance to self-identify as a problem. Many Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities are reluctant to participate in the self-identification process for the purposes of employment equity. Due to self-esteem 25 issues, some people may not identify themselves as belonging to a special group. It was pointed out that self-identification has sometimes been used by people from nondesignated groups to misidentify themselves and abuse the system, making data unreliable. Labour Market Intelligence The scarcity of accurate and available labour market intelligence, particularly in forecasting demand occupations, was also noted as a hurdle. The scarcity of accurate and available labour market intelligence prevents job hunters from being able to seek training in one of the demand occupations. There is a scarcity of information on job vacancies. Accessibility of the available labour market information to racial minorities accentuates the problem. Low estimates of labour market availability were mentioned as a barrier to achieving proper representation. Availability data produced by HRSDC and used by employers as benchmarks are based on the census data and therefore lag behind the real situation, as the visible minority and Aboriginal populations are growing at a faster rate than the rest of the population. These benchmarks are even more unreliable at the local labour market level. Other Barriers Lack of recognition of the benefits of diversity by employers was another barrier to greater recruitment of minorities. Studies that put a significant and positive dollar value on diversity are often unknown to employers. It was thought that, in their ignorance, employers are hurting their own productivity. Lack of unity among racial minorities was mentioned as a barrier against achieving equity in the workplace. Marginalized groups compete among themselves for recognition of their identities and history, resulting in a hierarchy of oppression. Some employers complained about the lack of an umbrella group, especially among members of visible minorities. Issues of interest to urban Aboriginal peoples must also be dealt with. It should be recognized that Aboriginal peoples don’t speak with just one voice; issues are different for rural and urban peoples and vary by region. The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (1998) is in partnership with the CLC. 4.1. 2 Barriers Specific to Aboriginal Peoples There was a great deal of pessimism about the prospects for Aboriginal peoples in the workplace. This was captured by statements such as, “Nothing has changed for Aboriginal peoples.” A 26 participant in Regina said that being an immigrant is a temporary phase, but that “an Aboriginal is always an Aboriginal,” inferring that they believe they will always be subject to negative stereotypes. Lack of education and appropriate training was cited as a barrier to Aboriginal peoples, due primarily to chronic under-funding, lack of resources such as Internet access, and poor quality of education on some reserves. Aboriginal students frequently have special needs, which schools are not well equipped to handle. Teachers promote students to the next grade even when they are not ready. Many Aboriginal peoples drop out and few go on to post-secondary education. There are few role models among Aboriginal peoples for pursuing post-secondary education. Even graduates may not be adequately prepared for the outside world. Many Aboriginal persons in Saskatchewan and Winnipeg apply only for jobs designated for them and may not be aware that they are eligible for non-designated positions. Generations of institutionalization gave Aboriginal peoples a negative self-image. Until the 1980s, when the last residential schools were closed, many Aboriginal children were taken from their families and placed in residential schools. These schools aimed to assimilate Aboriginal children into mainstream society and were located far away from their settlements and families. Participants felt that people who came out of these institutions lacked self-esteem and often dropped out of school early, both of which are barriers to finding a job. When they returned to their communities, many were unable to adjust. Low self-esteem is seen to be now causing problems for Aboriginal peoples in the workplace. As one participant in Winnipeg stated, “People tell them that they are worthless, so they start thinking they are worthless.” This was seen to often result in drug abuse and criminal records for infractions such as impaired driving, creating further hurdles in finding a job. A strong barrier faced by Aboriginal peoples is the negative stereotype of lacking in education, skills, and ambition as well as having substance abuse problems. This stereotype is reinforced by the biased portrayal in the media of reports of cigarette smuggling and corruption on reserves. This image is often a caricature. School curricula do not contain an objective history of Aboriginal peoples. An Aboriginal person may be well educated, but is perceived to be uneducated and unskilled because of his or her appearance. An Aboriginal person may not always fit other people’s perceptions of what a professional should look like. It was suggested that although there are now some 60,000 Aboriginal students in universities, the perception of being uneducated persists. The absence of meaningful job opportunities on reserves is another major problem, especially for Aboriginal youth. With few jobs on reserves, an Aboriginal person looking for work has to move off the reserve. This uproots them from their surroundings and support network. 27 4.1.3 Barriers Specific to Visible Minorities Non-recognition of immigrants’ qualifications and the absence of adequate learning assessments were mentioned as a big barrier. As a result, visible minorities were seen as becoming an underclass, although they have the potential to make a contribution to society. Many participants questioned the wisdom of seeking skilled immigrants to meet labour market shortages and then not recognizing those skills. Some participants claimed that the consequent unemployment that exists among racial minorities is designed to help the capitalist system reduce wage costs. The problem of non-acceptance of foreign credentials is most acutely felt in Toronto and Montreal. A participant in Toronto remarked that non-acceptance of foreign credentials has resulted in that city having the most highly qualified taxi fleet in the world. Foreign credentials were said to often be an excuse for racism. It was believed that even when a person meets the job qualifications, employers ask for irrelevant qualifications, just to keep minorities out. Some examples were given: a participant mentioned that a brilliant man with a doctorate returned to India and a female engineer from China returned after ending up with a job selling donuts. A South Asian doctor was said to have taken a medical association to the Human Rights Commission because doctors with degrees from the U.K., Australia and South Africa were allowed to practise, while he was not. Although he won, it was an example of winning the battle and losing the war—the corrective action taken by the medical association was to disallow doctors from the other countries as well. A woman of South Asian origin was forced to take an examination by the Professional Institute of Planners and pay for it, even though she was a member of the Royal Society of Planning in the U.K. She passed the exam easily and apparently received a letter of apology later from the institute; twelve years later, she was still unable to find a job in her field. A provincial government program of fast-tracking medical personnel was also criticized. It was said that, “Fast-tracking is not fast enough.” Under the new program for medical doctors, it would take four to five years for a foreign-trained doctor to get a license to practise medicine. Ethnic-sounding names may become obstacles, as they are frequently used to screen out applicants. An organization was reported to have sent applicants for a managerial position to the senior managers in the company. By the time of the second round of interviews, applicants with obviously ethnic names had been screened out. Unions were almost universally mentioned as barriers for visible minorities. In Nova Scotia, they use union hiring halls for job recruitment. This means that outsiders like visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples are excluded and jobs go to representatives of the majority, according to a Halifax participant. 28 Religious discrimination and lack of accommodation was mentioned as another barrier, especially for Muslims. It is hard for a Muslim man with a beard or a woman in a hijab to find a job. Anyone with an Arabic/Muslim name is viewed with suspicion, especially after 9/11. The media’s negative portrayal of visible minorities after 9/11 was also mentioned as contributing to problems in finding a job. A Muslim woman with a PhD from an American ivy-league university was told that she could be hired only if she did not wear the hijab. She refused and went to Ottawa where she found a job. Some Muslim women do not like to shake hands with anyone except their spouses and immediate families, which is considered rude by many Canadians. Employers also may not want to hire devout Muslims, because they do not want to deal with prayer breaks. Canadian born visible minorities are frequently offended by the perception that they are not Canadians. Second and third generation members of visible minorities do not have the problem of foreign credential recognition, but they do face generic racial issues when it comes to promotion and the glass ceiling. Some members of the Montreal session complained that their children, who are doctors, teachers and other professionals, had to leave the province or even the country to find work. A recurring theme at the sessions was the hierarchy of racism, with Blacks at the bottom of the ladder. The message was that racism is most active against Blacks, whether native-born or not. A Black participant from Nova Scotia remarked that even Black businesses have to hire white workers at the front end to deal with white clients. The educational system was said to discriminate against Black students, who are told to go into the general rather than the academic stream. Refugees also face specific problems because they are perceived to be uneducated and unskilled, even though many of them held high positions in their countries of origin. They may have more problems of adjustment, since many may have faced trauma in their home country. Lack of trust in government was also cited as a barrier for new immigrants from some countries, especially refugees. They are said to be reluctant to ask for services and assistance from government agencies. Organizations helping immigrants and visible minorities also complained about the resource crunch that they have faced in recent years. It was felt that organizations helping immigrants and visible minorities were easy targets for governments at all levels when reducing budgets. In the meantime, the need for their services has multiplied. 29 4.1.4 Solutions: Bringing Down the Barriers Participants made a number of suggestions on how to overcome barriers to entry of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. In many cases, identifying a barrier meant identifying the solution as well. For example, the solution to poor educational facilities on reserves is to improve them. In addition, participants offered some concrete suggestions in terms of what has worked and what could work.27 There is a good deal of information available on helping Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities, but people are unaware that this information exists. Participants thought that information should be more accessible. Employees belonging to racial minorities, including Aboriginal peoples, should be made aware of their right to training and educational opportunities. They should also be more demanding in exercising those rights. It was also thought that more user-friendly websites should be created to provide tools for both racial minorities looking for a job and employees who want to access educational material on how to fight discrimination and promote employment equity in their companies. The Government of Ontario website was given as an example of a user-friendly tool. Some participants thought that job descriptions should emphasize essential skills, rather than degrees. Job descriptions should emphasize problem solving, judgement, communication and writing skills, flexibility and other qualities, in addition to paper qualifications. The job interview process needs to become less intimidating, especially for Aboriginal peoples. Employers should include Aboriginal elders in interviews. As well, interviews with Aboriginal candidates could be held in a circle without tables to make them more comfortable. Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities could be encouraged to volunteer for projects for short periods (e.g., three months), where they can team up with a mentor to learn job search techniques. A participant highlighted two successful projects, one in Manitoba and another at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto. Ontario’s Career Edge program was also mentioned. Internships were also suggested as successful models to ease the job entry process. Some participants saw summer jobs as a good way of helping Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities gain entry to the labour market. Frequently, summer jobs become full time after graduation. Co-op programs were also said to be helpful, although some people believed that racial minorities are usually the last to receive a job offer after their co-op assignment. 27 Many of the solutions to barriers against workforce entry apply equally to job retention and promotion. They will not be repeated in these and following sections. 30 Employers need to conduct outreach programs to these groups, especially Aboriginal peoples. Participants thought that jobs should be advertised in community newspapers, radio and television. It was thought that they should also participate in more job fairs and community gatherings and sell themselves as employers of choice. Partnering with local community groups and educational institutions can be effective. In this context, the examples of Palliser, a manufacturing company in Winnipeg, and the Syncrude oil sands project in Alberta were cited as outstanding successes to be emulated by other employers.28 Another good example cited was the Bank of Montreal’s “Opportunities” program, where bank employees go to Aboriginal schools and encourage students to work at the bank after they graduate. The Law School of Dalhousie University in Halifax complained that they didn’t have enough Black students applying for admission. When they did some outreach, they found an ample supply of students wanting to join the legal profession. Another successful example was Saskatchewan’s Speaker’s Bureau program, under which speakers go to schools and talk to Aboriginal youth about what they need to do to get a job. Mentoring was suggested as a way to facilitate the entry of professionals unfamiliar with the hiring practices of employers. Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities who have succeeded in the workforce should mentor others trying to break the same barriers. Participants agreed that organizations of visible minorities and religious organizations should engage educational institutions to provide greater understanding of their culture and to sensitize students to their issues. According to many participants, the commitment of top management is a prerequisite for change. An organization’s mission statement should include a code of conduct for a racismfree workplace. A company’s core values should be published and employees should be trained about the code of conduct and core values. It was felt that there should be mandatory, ongoing training for recruiters and managers on cultural awareness for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. Some people suggested special events on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and Diversity Appreciation Days. Van City and Westcoast Energy were cited as examples of organizations where senior management’s commitment to employment equity demonstrated results. Another example was Syncrude in Alberta, where the CEO’s commitment to providing opportunities for Aboriginal peoples yielded positive responses. It was suggested that managers at all levels should be accountable for achieving employment equity targets and that accountability should be part of the performance appraisal process. 28 The details of these companies’ initiatives were not discussed during consultations, except that the CEO of both companies took personal interest in promoting the interests of Aboriginal peoples. 31 In Halifax, an analogy was made between the enforcement of seat belt laws and the resulting increase in compliance rates, and the enactment of laws to combat racism increasing workplace diversity. “Start a 50 percent strategy, whereby half of new hiring should be from these two groups until proportional representation is attained.” Repercussions for non-compliance should not be too harsh. There is a line that should not be crossed and greater reliance should be placed on rewards for good behaviour. Employers should be shown both the stick and the carrot, according to another. While strict penalties should be imposed on defaulters, tax breaks could be provided for good performers. CLC participants noted that employers should not be convinced to be inclusive solely because it makes good business sense. They need to recognize their social responsibility as well. In addition to hiring aboriginal or visible minority staff in a branch office, organizations need to go further by ensuring their representation in management outside of the branch. Some suggested that there should be a requirement to include members of visible minorities on the boards of directors of major corporations. An example was provided from South Africa’s successful Black Business Empowerment program, under which every company must have at least one Black person on the board of directors. The commitment to implement a racism-free workplace should be a mandate of sector councils created by HRSDC. These councils should include a member of visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples to represent their interests in the sector’s human resources policies. People with an aptitude for the trades should be encouraged to go to a trade school instead of an academic institution. It was pointed out that good job opportunities were available for people with trade skills. Calgary continues to experience an economic boom, although Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities do not seem to be sharing fully in the boom. The oil and gas industries are facing labour shortages and need to find workers. One employer said that he would hire as many qualified truck drivers as he could find. A representative of a civil society organization said that her organization helps Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities by sending individuals with the right skills to the right people in organizations. They know how the internal systems in companies work and can protect candidates from getting the run-around. Saskatchewan was cited as having a partial solution to addressing the issue of employment inequity, whereby certain jobs are designated for Aboriginal peoples. However another participant pointed out that those hired under such programs become ghettoized. 32 It was repeatedly emphasized that the problem of racism in the workplace cannot be solved without dealing with the underlying problem of racism in society. People believed that the fight against racism must start in the educational system. Educational programs should be designed to foster acceptance of Aboriginal peoples and their cultures, according to one participant. It was noted that summer diversity camps have proven useful in encouraging positive attitudes towards Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. Employability skills, including job orientation programs, should be part of a life skills program at high school. Employment equity should be taught to students, especially Aboriginal students. For them, job-shadowing programs should be used to familiarize them with the workplace. Organizations like the Aboriginal Network should be used to find and help guide Aboriginal peoples through the processes for getting a job. It was said that there are attitudinal barriers among Aboriginal peoples that need to be dealt with before they enter the workplace. They, too, need to learn what is acceptable in the workplace and what is not, according to one participant. Participants stated that education must continue in the workplace. People need to be presented with examples of what constitutes racism and racial harassment, how to identify them and how to prevent them in the workplace. Managers and employees should be trained to promote cultural accommodation. Some participants thought that training should also be extended to Aboriginal and visible minority employees, so that there is no racism by either the majority or the minority group. Employers should understand the difference between a relaxed work environment in which people can indulge in good-natured humour and one in which racist jokes and sarcasm can poison the workplace. For visible minority immigrants, the process for recognizing foreign credentials needs to be urgently addressed. It was suggested that the task should be led by the federal government and not left to the provinces alone.29 In this way, immigrants should not need to have their qualifications accepted by each individual province. Some participants suggested that unions (as employers) should be brought under the purview of the Employment Equity Act. As an example, the Halifax Employers Association told unions in 1996 that their hiring hall practices would have to change to comply with the requirements of employment 29 It should be noted that the issue of foreign credentials is primarily a provincial jurisdiction. Within the federal government, the responsibility rests primarily with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and HRSDC (but not within Labour Branch, which administers Employment Equity). 33 equity. Consequently, their hiring practices changed and employers started to advertise in newspapers instead of depending on union hiring halls. It was suggested that to have greater credibility with the private sector, the government should practice what it preaches. Employers covered by the federal Employment Equity Program, the FCP and the federal public service are the only ones who are taking any proactive measures to advance employment equity. Governments should show the same will to tackle racial discrimination in the workplace as was done for promoting gender equity for women. There is an appearance of something being done but nothing is happening. If the government is serious, there should be a secretariat for racial minorities, as there is for the status of women. Some participants thought that there was a need to teach mainstream society that employment equity does not mean reverse discrimination. Measures to end discrimination against racial minorities can create resentment and a backlash against the program. The program needs to be understood in its proper perspective by groups who might feel threatened by it. Partnerships of stakeholders, comprised of employers, associations of Aboriginal peoples and visible minority groups as well as successful employees belonging to these groups, were suggested as a way to face the challenges of and find solutions to both job entry and career advancement. CLC participants noted several successful examples of partnerships. A partnership was developed with CUPE and the Saskatchewan government, which had hiring practices based on the region’s demographics. The Council of Aboriginal Peoples within CUPE addressed aboriginal peoples’ issues. This regional group was successful in bringing concerns to the attention of the national body of CUPE. A well-known consultant on Aboriginal employment approached CUPE and the CLC about programs for Aboriginal peoples. A workforce representation model was introduced and this acted as a catalyst for CUPE in Saskatchewan. CUPE organized members who advocate Aboriginal representation in the workplace. It was a “hard-sell” at first and there was some resistance to signing the partnership agreements, but an education strategy helped to get members on board. A lesson learned from the CUPE experience was to ensure that an education strategy is in place for members, so that they are on board and educated about why it is being done, what is being done, and what the results are. When new unions or projects started (e.g., in natural resource extraction industries and softwood forestry) employment equity work was done in the context of collective bargaining. The IWA/Steelworkers union organized for Aboriginal peoples’ representation in the workforce. The Voisey Bay project helped ensure that Aboriginal peoples were hired. Projects in Winnipeg focused on apprenticeship programs regarding the construction industry. 34 PSAC’s Northern Initiative encouraged Aboriginal peoples to become active members of PSAC (e.g., activists in Yellowknife recently negotiated an agreement). Another agreement between the Dene and PSAC examined how unions can be useful in the lives of the Dene community. PSAC is investigating the wage gap between Aboriginal peoples and non-Aboriginal peoples in a Northern diamond mine. While recognizing Aboriginal self-government and merging resources, the CLC was successful in organizing events and establishing a presence on reserves with band councils. Some band councils have argued that federal and provincial legislation doesn’t apply to them due to their right to self-govern. However, there have been problems where some employers are writing their own labour relations rules. Some pieces of employer labour relation policies have been anti-union and unfair to workers. Court actions upheld CLC’s right to organize on reserves. The Nishga Treaty in British Columbia saw collaboration between union and Nishga people. The CLC supports having Aboriginal peoples represented on Labour Relations Boards. CLC has taken a strong position and feels that Canada’s Labour Relations Act needs to be brought into force. In, 2002, Treasury Board said there were barriers in the workplace, and concluded that the commitment by lower to middle level managers was the problem, with the culture of the managers as issue. Staffing has recently been delegated to departmental managers. The fear expressed by some delegates is that this increased flexibility for management could perpetuate discrimination and low representation. It was suggested that greater support for advocacy groups would help. Visible minorities should be more politically active. Until they do, they will not have access to political influence and resources. 4.2 Job Retention Finding a job is only the first step for Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities breaking into the workplace. The next hurdle for them is to retain employment. This section deals with this second necessary step. Some of the barriers mentioned previously are raised again but in a slightly different context. 4.2.1 Barriers Typical to Both Groups The jobs that Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities attain d are frequently nonpermanent positions. Employers use a revolving door policy, whereby they hire people and fire them soon afterwards to increase their target group recruitment numbers. This is especially true if the company is participating in a subsidized program. The opportunities created are not real, but token jobs to obtain funding. However, CLC participants noted that job enhancement programs to fill temporary vacancies, which are made available only to people in designated groups, have been 35 successfully introduced in some workplaces (e.g. when backfilling positions for long periods of time). CLC participants noted that retention strategies, once they are in place, need to include mentoring. Apprenticeship programs are problematic and not a way in for most Aboriginal youth. In so far as acquisition of Canadian experience for recent immigrants is concerned, the CLC participants did not support the practice of people working without pay in order to establish themselves before being offered a paying position, as is sometimes requested of professionals with foreign credentials. The issue is really about allowing employers access to free labour without having to make any financial commitment to employees and it jeopardizes the rights of workers already in the workplace by artificially increasing the supply of free workers. There is said to be a “sticky floor” phenomenon faced by Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities, where they are retained in the entry level jobs that offer low pay, only slightly better than that provided by social assistance programs. Parents with small children may find it more advantageous to stay on social assistance, which offers other social benefits, rather than stay in marginal jobs. Lack of cultural understanding creates an unfriendly workplace for Aboriginal and visible minority workers. Managers do not understand that Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities may have a more extended concept of family than other Canadians. CLC participants noted that employer policies need to be analyzed from the point of view of Aboriginal peoples. For example, when government directives are developed, they should be made to be more inclusive of different cultures. 4.2.2 Barriers Specific to Aboriginal Peoples Isolation in the workplace was said to be a big problem for Aboriginal peoples. Most workplaces have only one or two Aboriginal persons on staff. They are not treated as part of the group, said one participant, so they feel isolated. Because of this, they prefer to work for their own organizations. There are several Aboriginal organizations in Winnipeg and some Aboriginal employees leave other jobs as soon as they find employment with one of these organizations. According to a participant from the broadcasting industry in Winnipeg, their Aboriginal employees left for Aboriginal Peoples Television Network as soon as it was on air. 36 4.2.3 Solutions: Bringing Down the Barriers The problem of on-the-job isolation for Aboriginal peoples should be addressed by attempting to hire more than one Aboriginal employee in each organization. Employers should be more sensitive to someone coming to Winnipeg from a reserve, for example. The Royal Bank in Alberta started its Royal Eagles program to help Aboriginal employees adjust to the workplace and the special support provided to them significantly improved retention rates. Corporate management should be provided with diversity training. Either the workplace culture should change to accommodate Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities or racial minorities should be coached in customs of the dominant culture. People pay lip service to diversity but the work culture in Canada is still the mainstream culture. Lack of understanding of cultural diversity creates conflict. It was pointed out that people do not like their colleagues to talk among themselves in a language other than their own. Employees should not be made to feel uncomfortable speaking in their own language, as long as it did not involve issues of health or workplace safety. Staff retreats were mentioned as a way of making workers feel more comfortable with colleagues from different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds by enabling them to interact in settings unrelated to work. A suggestion was made that more companies should hold exit interviews with departing staff to discover their reasons for leaving. This practice was followed at Nortel in Ottawa and Syncrude in Alberta. CLC participants noted that exit interviews are important in assessing employee retention issues. 4.3 Career Advancement Career advancement is a serious problem facing Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in the workplace. While the majority will find an entry-level job, these two groups find it harder to get promoted and move up the career ladder. Many of the barriers that impede career advancement are the same as those that impede workplace entry and retention discussed in the preceding sections. 4.3.1 Typical Barriers Faced by Both Groups Systemic racism was described as a major obstacle for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. Participants said that information about training needs and promotions is not shared. When a temporary position opens up due to vacation, illness or for other reasons, it was reported that Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities are not usually given the chance to serve in an acting capacity. Requirements are perceived as artificially 37 inflated in order to bar minorities. As a visible minority participant in Ottawa said: “My boss only had a college diploma, but when I applied for her job when she left, they raised the qualifications to an M.A. to keep me out.” Some Black participants in Montreal complained that the high-quality work of Canadianborn Black professionals is sometimes mistaken for that of their white colleagues. It is assumed that the work being praised could not have come from a Black person. The CLC participants mentioned that the CLC has done a study on the economic wellbeing of Canadian-born visible minorities, which showed lower wage rates for them than for the mainstream, not attributable to education or skill. It was noted that as the majority of visible minorities work in provincially-regulated industries, more engagement is needed with provincial counterparts to extend the anti-racism strategy past just those employees covered under the Employment Equity Act. “Good optics” are important so that the workforce represents the face of the community. The lack of commitment at the top level of companies is considered to be a key barrier. People said that the majority of directors in corporations are White, are biased in favour of their own kind and are generally unaware of it. CLC participants noted that positions can be broken down into union and non-union positions and those sitting on the boards of directors (outside collective agreements) can determine if positions are being filled by Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities or not. Employees can be tracked in their careers to see if certain groups have reached their “glass ceiling.” Women may have already reached this point. CLC participants suggested that, in the federal public workplace, management needs to combat racism and develop accountability mechanisms. Senior management performance agreements, with bonuses based partly on meeting employment equity targets, have not been fully implemented. There is a lack of continuity of the approach to employment equity and not enough voices in high places (e.g., Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister or Cabinet Minister) speaking out on this issue. Lack of training and mentoring were mentioned as barriers to promotion for Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in almost every session. According to one participant, Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities are often left out of training programs and then the lack of training is used as a reason for not giving them promotions. It is the mentor who teaches the protégé the rules of the office game. This is another aspect of the “old boys network”, where “the chosen ones” are selected for mentoring, based on social and cultural compatibility. People belonging to a different socio-cultural, ethnic-religious background get left out. CLC participants noted that career advancement in the private sector is different from the public sector. In the private sector there are fewer classifications and advancement is sometimes more tied to skill (e.g., a bus mechanic). There is a barrier to movement into supervisory and management positions. In the public sector, the classification system allows people to move more easily into supervisory positions. The “relative merit” policy is practised in the federal public service for career advancement, but there is no recognition for seniority. Hiring managers have a lot of discretion. 38 CLC also noted that the mainstream workers tolerate the presence of people of colour, but they do not interact with them or show respect. Aboriginal peoples reported feeling isolated, as there are few of them in the workplace. They are clustered at certain occupational levels, and feel the burden of a “glass ceiling”. Seldom do Aboriginal peoples have an opportunity to occupy acting management positions. Leave for education and career development has been negotiated in some employment equity plans. Individuals have to make up the time but are given the chance to increase their skill level. The CLC participants noted that in the nursing sector there is poor career advancement of visible minorities into more senior positions. One problem cited was the inability to prove that discrimination exists, unless it was overt (e.g., someone uses a racial slur). People are reluctant to give evidence against their colleagues and bosses. A participant in Montreal said, “if you want to keep your job, shut up and don’t complain.” She narrated the case of a person who was working well in an organization but her employer really wanted to fire her. They had no one in the company who could replace her, so they kept her for as long as they needed to. When someone came along who could replace her, they tried to get rid of her by harassing her so she would quit. She took her case to court, but no one from the company would come and testify on her behalf. The case had to be dropped because there was not enough evidence. The very same day of the ruling, she was fired. A participant in Halifax said: “You lose nine cases for each one you win. And nothing happens even when you win that one.” It was seen as impossible for an individual to contest a big employer in smaller regions. In the Toronto sessions, a participant originally from New Brunswick said that when a South Asian person wanted to fight a prominent employer, he could not even find a lawyer willing to take up the case. Anti-racism efforts at the CLC are often related to worker complaints. Sometimes a joint policy agreement is struck with individual employers or members, or the CLC helps the complainant to prepare a complaint through the Canadian Human Rights Commission. CLC participants emphasized education to help workers understand fundamental issues and to counteract past prejudices. It is important to focus on prevention rather than reaction to acts of racism. Preventative strategies put policies in place and articulate remedies on how digression from policy will be treated, so when issues arise, the workplace is ready to respond. People who are supposed to protect victims of discrimination are often alleged to be defending the offender. Unions were said by some to be an enormous barrier in the way of the disadvantaged groups. Unions were described as half-hearted in fighting grievances filed by visible minorities against senior people. It was suggested that unions consider the seniority principle as sacrosanct, which often works against Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. One person said that he even had to lay a complaint of discrimination against the Canadian Human Rights Commission. 39 CLC participants themselves commented on the issue of seniority as a possible barrier to the retention and advancement of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. They noted that there are ways to compensate the lack of seniority among visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples. Employers can have call-back lists active for longer time periods and give designated groups extra credit for time worked to place them higher up on the seniority list. Participants agreed that the problem persists even when dealing with a person in authority that belongs to a racial minority. Even those who are inclined to help may lose their initial enthusiasm and start acting like other managers. As a person in Toronto put it: “When an Aboriginal person or a member of a visible minority joins an organization, he/she is treated as a misfit, or a square peg that has to be rounded to fit into the round hole.” It is believed that Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities do not know how the promotion system works. Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities lack access to networks in the workplace and may not know how to play office politics. The higher up the promotional ladder, the more the subjective element is involved in the selection process. This is known as assessing the soft skills. Office networking happens both in and out of the workplace. As a participant from Calgary put it: “The rules of the game are the rules of golf.” According to CLC participants, employers frequently give artificial excuses to deny an Aboriginal person or a visible minority person an opportunity to work or advance, such as the person “won’t fit in” or is not “manager material.” For example, lack of credentials and lack of Canadian experience are often cited as reasons to deny an opportunity to visible minority or Aboriginal persons. Issues of protecting “white privilege” for high paying jobs, so the workplace reinvents itself in its own is really below the surface, and is evidenced in workplaces “hiring their own kind” or expressing the view that the “candidate is not one of us.” 4.3.2 Barriers Specific to Aboriginal Peoples Promotions in the workplace are a highly competitive game, requiring aggression and assertiveness. These qualities are not highly regarded among Aboriginal peoples, who have been taught to respect their elders and people in positions of power. Their culture teaches Aboriginal peoples not to argue with elders and people in positions of power or to look them in the eye. This is considered a sign of weakness by mainstream Canadian managers and goes against the Aboriginal employees at promotion time. 4.3.3 Barriers Specific to Visible Minorities A lack of qualified people is often used as a pretext for not promoting members of visible minorities. 40 Lack of the so-called soft skills is another reason that is sometimes given for failure to promote qualified visible minorities, but such skills are very difficult to objectively identify and assess. “Core competency” is another criterion that may be vague and a pretext for biased decision making that excludes qualified minorities. Someone mentioned, “Now that minorities have learned the rules of the game, the rules are changed.” As with Aboriginal peoples, the lack of assertiveness works against people of certain cultural backgrounds among visible minorities. It was thought that it is not part of the culture of many visible minority groups to negotiate with the employer or to ask for promotion. Some members of visible minorities are more accustomed to paternalistic cultures. Whoever is outgoing, extroverted and assertive tends to get promoted. The problems sometimes persist even for the second generation. They find a conflict between cultures in which they have grown up and the culture of the workplace. Immigrants’ accents work against them. In office meetings, input from a person with a different accent is given a lower value, even when the person is quite fluent in the official language. Religious barriers were also mentioned in the context of promotion, just as they were in relation to job entry. There is a perception among many employers that visible minority managers are inferior, which also prevents the promotion of qualified managers from among visible minorities. This works against not only immigrants, but also Canadian-born visible minorities. In Québec, the apparent desire of a society to assimilate instead of integrate immigrants was also said to be a barrier against people of a different cultural background who want to preserve their own culture. 4.3.4 Solutions: Bringing Down the Barriers The commitment of senior management was high on the list of solutions proposed by participants. “Start at the top,” was the message that came through loud and clear. Succession planning should include employment equity goals. Senior people with dedicated budgets should be in charge of employment equity in organizations. One participant in Halifax said: “Employment equity should not be in the Siberia of human resource departments.” A favourable reference was made in Halifax to the Royal Bank, which has its employment equity person report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. Closely tied to the commitment of senior management is managerial accountability. The U.S. approach to affirmative action was favourably mentioned in Halifax, Toronto and Montreal, especially by Black participants. They said that employment equity programs should have teeth. In both Toronto and Halifax, the example was given of the 41 Corning Company in the U.S., where salaries and bonuses were tied to the progress of Black people. The incentive of salaries and bonuses should be combined with exemplary penalties to practitioners of racial discrimination. One participant said that the only time Blacks made any gains was when the change was legislated or required through the judicial process. Negotiations only cause delays as employers may stall or make excuses. CLC participants suggested that there needs to be an employment equity report card that is easily accessible. Accountability mechanisms and recourse mechanisms need to be adopted. Information from employer annual reports can be used as a basis for the suggested report card, using plain language and published in newspapers and magazines. Participants believed that there is a need to support people filing discrimination complaints against their employers. Litigation can take many years and does not always benefit the complainant, even when the results go in his or her favour. So it was thought that more resources should be available for advocacy for people complaining to human rights commissions and seeking legal recourse. An employment systems review was said to be an essential first step to identify and eliminate systemic discrimination against entry and career advancement of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. CLC participants noted that accountability and availability of recourse if someone feels harassed is important in the workplace. Both statistics (to prove increasing numbers of employees) and qualitative measures are important. Qualitative measures, such as recourse, are important as it creates a supportive environment. Qualitative and quantitative measures are typically implemented through HRSDC’s regional offices, but there is a need to include unions, government and employers together. CLC participants indicated that the U.S. experience has a different legal framework: employees can sue an employer if they encounter discrimination and class action suits have been launched by groups of mainly Black workers. Case law in Canada has not evolved to this point and there has been no community pressure for employment equity, although some employers in Ontario have continued their initiatives but not in any visible manner. It is suggested that “representative workforce” be used rather than “employment equity” as some opinion leaders have discredited the latter. Some participants noted that unions could not always be relied upon to advance the cause of employment equity. One idea was that Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities should form their own unions or separate cells within current unions and negotiate separate agreements with employers. This was said to have happened at the University of Saskatchewan, which has a separately negotiated agreement with Aboriginal employees. 42 Cultural understanding and accommodation is important for Canada’s diverse workplaces. Aboriginal peoples and some immigrants may not have the same cultural activities as the mainstream, such as watching the same movies, television shows or having an interest in hockey or golf. This should not be a handicap for career advancement. Multinational corporations should send their managers to different countries to help them appreciate those cultures and foster an environment of collaboration and understanding. Diversity training courses should be developed to teach the positive effects on the bottom line of a diverse workforce, as IBM and Nike have done. A study reported in Diversity Inc. magazine showed that the most successful companies on the New York Stock Exchange were those that had a highly multiracial workforce. Lessons should be learned from the success of the women’s movement in making significant progress in the workplace. A participant referred to research carried out among 60 successful visible minority women. It showed that these women were successful because their managers supported them. The first break was generally seen as the most important. Once the private sector accepts employment equity, change will come faster than in the public sector. It was pointed out in that in Regina both Wal-Mart and The Bay moved quickly to hire Aboriginal peoples once senior management made a commitment that became known to their human resources staff. 4.4 Regional Variations Although there are common types of barriers and proposed solutions by participants in all eight cities, there are also some regional differences, which are listed here. Halifax is said to have a major problem of discrimination against the Black community. Unlike other cities, the majority of Blacks come from families that have lived there for generations. Culturally, they are almost indistinguishable from other Nova Scotians. Yet they lag significantly behind the mainstream in relation to employment, income, and other socio-economic indicators. The extent of disappointment amongst Blacks was reflected in a comment by one Black participant who said that there is a lot more respect shown to him in the streets and shopping malls of Toronto than in Halifax. A participant in Winnipeg, who had moved there from Halifax, also noted the same stark difference between how Black people were treated in the two cities. Racism against Blacks is said to pervade all sections of society in Halifax and has a harmful effect on their performance in the workplace. They have been more successful in Black business initiatives. However, even there, it was observed that some successful Black businesspeople hire white workers for their front-end operations to counter the prejudice of their customers and suppliers. There also seemed to be significant admiration in Halifax for the U.S. approach to openly recognize racial problems in their society and adopt an effective action program to deal with them. 43 The Montreal experience includes distinct issues relating to the French language and culture. Nowhere did the visible minority participants complain so loudly about discrimination based on language and cultural differences than in Montreal. Their complaints are threefold. First, for non-francophones, especially immigrants, French is often their third language after their mother tongue and English. The linguistic handicap is therefore a bigger barrier in Québec. This is especially true since Québec society is much more concerned about language issues than other provinces. Public sector employers are seen to advertise jobs that do not require linguistic abilities, like cleaning and janitorial, in non-French media. Even for many Aboriginal persons in Québec, French is a third language after that of their native language and English. Second, francophone visible minorities face all the problems of visible minorities elsewhere, but discrimination becomes more obvious because they often have Frenchsounding names. They get calls for interviews, only to find an “Oh, you” look on the faces of their interviewers. The third problem unique to Québec is the perception of an overt emphasis on assimilation, as opposed to integration, with the host society. Some participants felt that Québec has an unwritten social contract with newcomers whereby they are expected to accept the province’s culture and norms. This is especially problematic, said one participant, for some religious minorities, like Muslims, who want to preserve their own symbols and practices, such as wearing the hijab and offering prayers in the workplace. In Toronto, the problems are severe due to the sheer numbers of visible minorities in the metropolitan areas. Here the problems are the same as elsewhere, such as a lack of Canadian qualifications and experience, but their impact on the communities is much greater. A problem mentioned at other locations, but more often in Toronto, is the issue of racial hierarchy and racism among ethnic groups. It was pointed out that while all visible minorities face discrimination in the workplace, the Black community has the worst experience, emanating not only from mainstream Canadians but also from other racial groups. The Prairie provinces are different in several ways. One difference is the large presence of Aboriginal peoples. Second is the special problem of Aboriginal youth moving from reserves to urban areas, in some cases from difficult family backgrounds and poor educational facilities. Third is a realization, if not effective action, of mainstream society that wrongs have been done to Aboriginal peoples and that these wrongs should be redressed. The Prairie provinces seem to be at the forefront of innovative solutions for the problem of institutional racism, particularly through partnerships. 44 Especially in Manitoba, partnerships are being formed to benefit the non-majority groups. This is particularly true for Aboriginal peoples, where partnerships are helping meet the multitude of challenges associated with racial discrimination in the workplace.30 Calgary is unique, not only to the Prairies, but across Canada due in part to the economic boom in Alberta. The province is facing acute labour shortages in some areas and is eager to tap into the unused and underused workforce. Vancouver’s special problems stem in part from the substantial migration of visible minorities to the area. Vancouver has sizeable and long-standing South Asians and Chinese communities as well as Aboriginal peoples. In some areas of the Vancouver region, such as Richmond and Surrey, there are now areas with “visible majorities.” And yet visible minorities feel a lack of power in not being able to improve their situation in the workplace. The problem of inter-racial discrimination was highlighted in Vancouver. Visible minorities discriminate against other visible minorities by virtue of the nature of their networks or dominance on the front line of hiring. 4.5 Benefits of a Racism-Free Workplace There is a growing body of literature about the economics of discrimination. Discriminatory economic behaviour based on racial or any other prejudice generally entails an economic cost. If an employer is unwilling to hire a better-qualified Aboriginal person or member of a visible minority and instead hires only white workers, he or she is essentially taking a decision to make a lower profit. The American economist, Gary Becker, called this the economic co-efficient of discrimination31. More and more large businesses are becoming aware of the effects of discrimination on their bottom lines. The introduction of employment equity, which involves ending discriminatory employment practices, goes beyond addressing the effects of bias by an individual employer. It seeks to examine the whole process of human resources management to end discrimination practices, intentional or not. Implementation of employment equity often results in other positive, though unintended, effects on the organization. Participants in the focus group sessions were asked to share their views on the effects of implementing anti-discrimination policies and programs in the workplace. Those who had actual work experience in an organization that had implemented employment equity were asked to base their comments on what had actually happened. 30 Details of these partnerships were not discussed during consultations. Further research into these partnerships was outside the mandate of this project. 31 Becker, Gary: Economics of Discrimination, University of Chicago, Chicago Press. 45 4.5.1 Human Resources Management The most commonly expressed benefit of implementing anti-discriminatory policies in an organization was that it resulted in comprehensive human resource practices and planning. An employment systems review triggered companies to look at their human resources practices, often for the first time in smaller organizations. It resulted in the development of extensive tools for human resources management. Audit reviews carried out by the Canadian Human Rights Commission seem to have expedited this process. As one participant said: “Six months after the audit, a visit to a subsidiary showed the managers were thinking seriously about human resource planning and management.” Informal recruitment methods, such as word-of-mouth recruiting, were replaced by more formal and equitable methods, giving companies access to a wider labour pool. Following an employment systems review, an employer cited examples of corporate recruitment plans, succession planning, formal interview questions and changes in decisions regarding where to advertise. The combination of employment equity, Canadian Human Rights Commission audits and decisions of courts and human rights tribunals have resulted in policies against harassment and discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. An employer representative stated that because of the action plan developed to deal with employment equity, they developed a “People Plan” and introduced career advice for every employee. Employees who weren’t given previous opportunities now had a chance at promotion. 4.5.2 Workplace Environment Several participants reported an improved environment in the workplace following the implementation of employment equity. Employment equity led to a better work environment among employees, resulting in better relationships. Participants used words like “friendly,” “healthy” and “less poisonous” to describe the resulting atmosphere. Participants generally agreed that wherever employment equity was implemented, it had resulted in a more inclusive environment. According to CLC participants, there are also liability issues and costs associated with the poisoned workplace that result from racist practices, evidenced by such things as increased absenteeism, legal costs and staff time spent on dealing with this issue. Unhappiness and negativity spreads throughout the workplace and it takes years for it to recover. 46 4.5.3 Improved Profitability Implementing employment equity has a positive effect on the bottom line of organizations. When people feel safe from harassment and discrimination, they are more motivated to perform better and unleash their creative potential. It results in a decline in absenteeism, a rise in worker morale and a smaller turnover. One participant said that it was not a coincidence that multinational corporations were the first to embrace the concept of employment equity. They had realized the benefits of a diverse workforce in their global operations. The example of banks was also cited at almost every location. Hiring more visible minorities enhanced the image of banks and improved their profitability so employment equity became part of their business model. The impact on the bottom line is by no means restricted to large organizations. A participant in Regina cited a restaurant he is associated with where having a diverse workforce meant not only reduced absences and turnover, but also an increasingly diverse client base. CLC participants noted that anything that detracts from the day-to-day quality of the workplace and the work itself supports the business case for employment equity. It is valuable to espouse the business case for employment equity, along with the corporate social responsibility to back arguments for a diverse, racism-free workplace. The business case for supporting a racism-free workplace was proved when the CAW was able to document the amount of money spent on human rights complaints and the associated legal fees. With respect to medium-sized companies (300 to 500 employees), it has been argued that productivity is affected when there is conflict within the workplace (e.g. high absenteeism when someone is being harassed at work, costs of fighting human rights complaints). Employees who are treated fairly tend to be more productive in the workplace. Training has the power to reduce conflict and increase productivity. 4.5.4 Improved Service to Clients Participants gave several examples of how embracing diversity often resulted in improved service to clients. When Muslims were allowed to offer prayers in an organization in Montreal, they were able to work during the lunch break to replace other staff. This was the time when the greatest number of telephone calls from clients came in, so it resulted in more satisfied customers. Implementation of diversity programs at airports helped improve service in Halifax. A diverse workforce can now serve travellers in their own language. A similar benefit was described for the new border security force, where people of a similar cultural/linguistic background can help visitors. A multiethnic and multilingual nursing staff has similarly helped hospitals to improve services to patients of similar backgrounds. 47 4.5.5 Improved Image Introduction of a diverse workforce enhances the image of an organization as the employer of choice in the community. One participant said that, in the final analysis, it improves the image of Canada as a more accepting and inclusive place, which recognizes and values the differences and uniqueness that individuals bring to the workplace. CLC participants noted that diverse organizations will be viewed favourably and people will purchase more goods and services from them. In addition, the organization will become known as a desirable place to work, increasing its ability to attract and retain high calibre employees. There is a compelling business case for employers to adopt employment equity policies, but this is in addition to the social responsibility argument, which should be a key reason for adopting these policies. It is unacceptable for employers not to be representative. The message should be that diversity means success, good customer relations and a positive corporate image. A poisoned, unproductive workplace is a result of harassment and employees who have been discriminated against. Employees will leave the workplace to take other jobs, go on leave, and often retire earlier if they encounter harassment or discrimination. A successful program, as noted CLC participants, is the Ontario government’s employment equity program under the Ontario Employment Equity Act. Unfortunately, the materials related to the program became unavailable when the Act was repealed in 1995. It was suggested that a list of exemplary corporations that championed employment equity be obtained from those previously connected with the program, who are likely employed elsewhere in the Ontario government. Xerox and National Grocers, as well as some public boards and utilities showed exemplary commitment to the business case for supporting employment equity goals. 48 5. Workshop Findings Workshop sessions were one of the three components of group activities that took place during the eight-city Engagement Plan. Over 30 workshops were conducted in different cites, as follows: Vancouver (6), Calgary (2), Regina (1), Winnipeg (2), Halifax (6), Ottawa (4), Montreal (3) and Toronto (8). Three different, yet complementary, workshops took place, namely: Implementing Employment Equity; From Policies to Practice; and the Business Challenge; Each had distinctive workshop characteristics, such as case studies, interaction through questionnaires, and feedback mechanisms using both small group and large group debriefing sessions. Supportive documentation such as published materials, a glossary of terms, and other publications from businesses and business-related sectors and organizations were used to advance ideas and stimulate group dynamics relevant to the workshops’ objectives and goals. This chapter describes: • • • • • Purpose; Settings; Themes; General views; and Regional views. 5.1 Purpose The workshops focused on stimulating discussion among participants about the nature of the work environment. In particular, emphasis was placed on how current or existing employment practices create barriers for visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples and how these barriers may negatively impact on advancement to a racism-free workplace. The workshops were meant to be primarily a training exercise and also provided the opportunity for all three stakeholder groups (employers, unions and representatives of civil society) to share information. Specifically, these workshops examined: • • • The nature of racism in the workplace; How workplace practices and policies exclude the full participation of members of visible minority groups and Aboriginal peoples; Ways to counteract race-based employment barriers. Overall, the workshops were intended to generate ideas and practical knowledge with respect to advancing a strategy for a racism-free workplace. 49 5.2 Setting Workshop training techniques included small group and large group interaction. Topics discussed included racism and harassment by individuals as well as institutional and systemic racism. Case studies identifying issues and seeking solutions, questions, and a project-designed Practitioners’ Guide to assist in implementing employment equity, were integral to the workshop discussions. Other supporting documentation and handout material, especially regarding the business challenge, augmented the training process. Policies and practices in existence were examined with a view to finding solutions to barriers in the workplace. 5.3 Themes The design of each workshop allowed participants a number of choices in the context of other activities being undertaken, namely consultations and partnership sessions relevant to a racismfree workplace. Covering the eight cities in different regions also meant challenges of focusing on both subjective and objective factors of each region, bearing in mind that workplaces differ, as do stakeholders’ expectations, on a number of dimensions including region and size of city. In addition, Aboriginal peoples’ needs often were different from visible minorities’ needs. The overriding focus was on federally regulated organizations, Crown Corporations and other similar agencies covered by the Employment Equity Program and the Federal Contractors Program. Three kinds of workshops were organized: • • • 5.3.1 Objective To acquire skills in developing a practical approach geared to recruiting, hiring, and promoting visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples in the workplace, and fostering a racism-free work environment. Structure This workshop module was structured as a training and educational exercise to advance HRSDC’s engagement objective to foster a racism-free workplace for federally regulated organizations. Legal/legislative framework, e.g., the Employment Equity Act and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, formed the background for the discussion among workshop participants, i.e., employers, unions, and civil society. The training activities are described below: Implementing Employment Equity: A Step-by-Step Approach. From Policies to Practice–From Realties to Remedies The Business Challenge - Good Practices at Work Implementing Employment Equity: A Step-by-Step Approach 50 • Large groups and small groups were organized to solicit maximum participation in an interactive manner, soliciting input regarding the objective, the culture of the workshop and discussion from participants. Discussion of key terms was considered important for training activities. Terms such as “equal treatment” and “systemic discrimination” were examined in the context of the participants’ previous knowledge. A formal glossary was provided as follow-up. In breakout sessions, small groups focused on key questions prepared in advance and given to participants. These questions were designed to solicit discussion of specific barriers faced by Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities in recruitment and hiring, and concrete steps taken to ensure a non-poisonous work environment. Also discussed were the particular leadership roles that stakeholders such as unions and management can play in improving the situation. The conclusions arrived at were presented at debriefing sessions. The building of sustainable long-term partnership to advance HRSDC’s goal underlay the follow-up discussion. A Practitioner’s Guide discussed how to conduct Employment Equity studies as a teaching tool. The facilitator conducted a step-by-step process to implement employment equity, namely; Step 1: Preparation; Step 2, Analysis; and Step 3, Identifying Barriers in Policies and Practices. These strategic steps would lead an employer to developing an employment equity program for Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. (It was emphasized that employers in this context were legally obligated by federal and provincial human rights and employment standards and legislation to ensure that no individual is treated unfairly because of gender, ancestry, colour, race or disability.) In the wrap-up period, participants were asked to commit to three things they could take back to their organizations in efforts to implement a program of action. • • • • • 5.3.2 Objective From Policies to Practice–From Realties to Remedies To create a better understanding of how to develop and implement effective strategies for hiring and retaining visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples and for promoting a racism-free workplace Structure Participants worked on actual case studies of racism to gain a better understanding of the challenges of putting human rights, employment equity and workplace policies into practice. At the onset of the workshop, the facilitator spent much time on how to create a respectful environment in which to discuss issues of racism and workplace discrimination. This included a 51 presentation on workplace culture, aspects of communication and the underlying dynamics and definitions of racism. In small groups, the participants worked on actual case studies. In a large group, the participants reviewed the answers, debriefed, and engaged in a facilitated discussion on the issues and solutions. 5.3.3 Objective The purpose of this workshop was to engage stakeholders - Aboriginal and visible minority civil society, academics and unions - in an active dialogue about the challenge for businesses organizations to create racism-free workplaces. It was aimed at motivating employers to work together to create workplaces that were free of discrimination and racism. The role of the facilitator was to work with stakeholders to better understand the business challenge; to facilitate a better understanding among stakeholders of good practices; and to enhance stakeholder knowledge of current good practices and generate thinking for additional good practices. The expectation was that this workshop would provide the forum for Aboriginal peoples, visible minorities, employers, unions and members of the civil society to actively learn and work together to find good practices towards enhancing a racism-free workplace. Participants would also leave this workshop with resources and a better sense of good practices that could be undertaken by businesses. Structure After introductions and explanation of the objectives and a brief discussion of the handout material, e.g. Toward Maximizing the Talents of Visible Minorities (Conference Board of Canada), the facilitator organized small group discussions on identifying business challenges, especially pertinent to recruitment, retention and promotion in the workplace and perceptions of it outside the work environment. Small groups debriefing identified business challenges and solutions such as who has the lead role. Good practices were subsequently discussed by referring to the handouts and information package of corporate practices. The facilitator engaged participants in interactive exchanges. Discussion of key handouts and responses helped to find solutions to barriers in the workplace. Wrap up and completion of the evaluation questionnaire followed. The Business Challenge–Good Practices at Work 5.4 General Views There were many common ideas expressed throughout the country on barriers affecting both target groups and the kinds of solutions required to overcome these obstacles. The workshop process confirmed the focus groups’ findings of a perception that racism is integrated into the workplace system. In short, racism is perceived to be institutional, and results in specific ways of recruiting and hiring personnel that exclude visible minorities, which also negatively impacts on retention and promotion of target group members. Other key barriers included the well-known 52 “glass ceiling” and “sticky floor” syndromes and preference for hiring people that “mirror” those who are already in the workplace. Improper assessment of foreign (international) credentials and work experience, harassment in the workplace, and biased attitudes about visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples were perceived as “built in" to the system. An “old boys network" appears embedded in the system. It was repeatedly mentioned that “it is the duty of managers to take action” to remedy the situation. Participants noted that “managerial accountability is a must.” The workshops across the country enabled participants (stakeholders and observers) to become better acquainted with the range of complex elements at work and the urgent need for serious engagement by government, not only HRSDC but other government departments, to work together to bring about change. Moreover, the view was expressed that other institutions such as the educational system, media, police, municipalities, and society as a whole should become engaged in combating racism. A complex and fundamental set of factors including human emotions (e.g. rage, insecurities), power, economics, and social structures and systems have to be analyzed in order to understand the impacts that racism, overt and systemic, has in the workplace. The workshop exercises enabled an exchange and synthesis of many viewpoints and experiences and resulted in suggestions for common solutions, as well as airing of grievances and raw feelings. These processes can lead to a broadened understanding that the problem is serious and that now is the time to take action, particularly since polls and other research indicate that racism is evident in Canadian society and that hate crimes are on the rise –. 5.5 Regional Views Most of the themes were repeated and reinforced throughout the country, but some regional differences were seen. Pacific Key barriers in this region included power differentials between racial minorities and the rest of the population. Other barriers included credentialism, lack of Canadian experience, “mirror image” hiring, “Eurocentric” school curricula, and stereotyping of minorities. Systemic discrimination was mentioned as “common” and that “it becomes generational” and part of the culture. The Employment Equity Act was referred to as “process heavy” and smaller companies blame lack of resources as a barrier to adopting employment equity measures. Prairies A diverse workforce is not necessarily racism free. In Alberta, since the provincial government is not active in employment equity, some participants felt that racial minorities do not get equal opportunities in the workforce. Often racial minorities were not assertive enough to ask for courses and training. Good practices mentioned in Calgary included creating a list of diversity-friendly companies, unions incorporating diversity into their strategies, addressing the issue of barriers long before exit interviews, having a mentoring system and human resources instruments to measure growth 53 potential of employees, and creating a forum for dialogue with visible minorities and Aboriginal peoples. Good practices mentioned in Winnipeg included advertising in Aboriginal papers and radio stations, creating a master pool of available labour, developing in-house training for improving job retention and career advancement, and allowing flexible work weeks to allow for hunting, trapping and fishing. Atlantic The need for internal organizational support for victims to help bring forth complaints was mentioned in Halifax. There should be zero tolerance of racial slurs. Good practices included anti-harassment policies and strategies, diversity training for senior managers and achievement of diversity goals being tied to salary increases. Ontario Barriers mentioned in Ontario included credentialism, “old boys networks”, need for Canadian experience, lack of cultural sensitivity, stereotyping, “glass ceiling” and “sticky floor” syndromes, financial cost of complaining to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, hiring to satisfy a statistical requirement, promotions based on seniority and punishment of those who sought recourse. Good practices included recognizing experience from country of origin; advertising directly to equity groups; promoting acting positions to gain experience; establishing diverse hiring committees; starting with the school system to correct prejudicial attitudes; ensuring accountability for managers, avoiding stereotyping in advertisements and implementing career development for employees. Quebec Apart from some of the issues mentioned in other regions, barriers included lack of contact between mainstream businesses organizations and Aboriginal peoples and visible minority organizations, lack of racial minorities on hiring committees, inability of Aboriginal peoples to attain higher levels of education because of lack of financial resources, perceived lack of government action on racism, non-recognition of racial minorities’ contribution to society and absence of information on race related matters. Good practices included using third parties for conflict resolution on racial issues and providing information on the race situation in the province. 54 6. Partnership Findings When an Engagement Plan for a Racism-Free Workplace was conceived, partnerships with stakeholders such as employers, unions and civil society were considered to be a major element of the engagement strategy. Two methodologies were used to further this objective. The first was to hold partnership sessions in each of the eight cities to determine the desirability, feasibility and likelihood of forming such partnerships on a sustainable basis. Secondly, participants in the focus group sessions were also asked to share their views regarding the formation of such partnerships as a solution to race-based employment. In total, 29 partnership sessions were organized and over 130 stakeholders participated. More than a quarter of them were visible minorities from voluntary organizations and somewhat less than a quarter were employers. Aboriginal peoples consisted of one fifth and the rest were from academia, unions and others. This chapter summarizes the results of these deliberations (see Appendix 5 for details) on the following topics: • • • • • • Need for partnerships; Challenges; Elements of a partnership Canadian examples; Feedback on partnership sessions; and Future directions. 6.1 Need for Partnerships There was strong, almost universal, support expressed by participants for the idea of partnerships in the employment relationship among the demand side (employers), supply side (unions), and intermediaries (voluntary associations of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities and human resources experts). A participant captured the sentiments by saying “just sitting around the discussion table by all parties is making progress and helpful.” Such partnerships can help to resolve the challenges faced by racial minorities in workplace entry, job retention and career advancement. The visible minority participants in the Pacific region felt that although the region was considered to be a hotbed of racism historically, the situation has improved substantially. As one participant said, “things are better than they used to be; however, we still have a long way to go.” Partnerships are essential to get things done and create racism-free workplaces given the fact that the region has a “very polarized environment between capital and labour,” in the words of one participant. 55 The high unemployment rate of Aboriginal peoples in the Prairies could be a stimulating factor for partnership formation, particularly because racism in the workplace is partly responsible for this situation. Partnerships should aim to implement training programs to advance careers and retain Aboriginal peoples in jobs. The current focus, which is on job entry, is not sufficient. Surveys should be conducted to monitor retention and advancement. Partnerships can launch efforts to train Aboriginal peoples on grievance procedures in an attempt to alleviate problems of uncomfortable workplace environment rather than walking away from the job. Unions are of particular significance in this context and Aboriginal peoples should be encouraged to participate in union initiatives, work on committees or act as stewards. The healthcare sector was said to have an immediate need for partnerships, given the rapidly aging population of Canada in general and the younger age profile of Aboriginal peoples and immigrant visible minorities from whom health professionals are recruited. Racism is especially difficult to deal with in the healthcare area without partnerships, since minority health care workers may have to enter their clients’ homes. Forming partnerships within educational sectors with a focus on racism-free institutions is opportune. School boards could meet with representatives of racial minorities to develop and implement policies and curricula and offer training. Funding for such initiatives would, in the long run, contribute to the development of a racism-free society and workplace. 6.2 Challenges The first challenge will be to advise key stakeholders of the benefits of such partnerships. The biggest challenge will be getting the employers and unions at the same table and singing from the same song sheet. The role of employers is very important, with the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council, initiated by employers, cited as being very successful. CLC participants also supported the need for common objectives by noting that the Labour Program supports joint activity between employers and unions. The union perspective promotes solidarity amongst employees, while the employer perspective is profit-driven and an improved bottom-line. A strategy would meet the objectives of both unions and employers. One of the difficulties voiced in the formation of partnerships was the absence of a human resources department in many firms, especially those under FCP. In a trucking firm of 600 employees, only one person is working on human resources issues. An estimate shows that a quarter of the firms are without a human resources department. There was a suggestion that instead of forming new partnerships, existing ones without sufficient resources should be supported. Partnerships go through a lot of difficulties for a small amount of funding. When funding is coming from multiple sources, the partnership is often lost when one of the departments ceases to provide support. 6.3 Elements of a Partnership The goal of a partnership would be to achieve a better quality of life for racial minorities by increasing the number of those working, getting promotions and increasing their earned income in a racism-free workplace. Essential elements of such a strategy would include: 56 • • • • • • • • A leadership role played by the Labour Program of HRSDC; A role for civil society members to monitor the progress of a racism-free workplace, with funding assistance from the Labour Program; Commitment and involvement on the part of employers—raising awareness and changing attitudes at the senior management level would be essential; An initiative to get Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities into power positions; An active role for unions to develop and maintain the practices of racism-free workplaces; The involvement decision makers, as lower-mid level persons may not have the power, money and resources; The participation of Chambers of Commerce, Boards of Trade and top government officials; and The regular assessment and evaluation of partnerships, as the lack of accountability is a barrier to successful partnership maintenance. The key factors that make partnerships successful and sustainable were discussed in some of the Toronto sessions. Key factors included shared objectives, responsibility, leadership and commitment, clear communication, transparency, accountability, honesty, trust and openness, measurable performance indicators, and availability of resources. Several participants underscored that partnerships are supposed to be a win-win situation for all. The elements of a successful partnership included contacting key people, communicating purpose, developing community visions, building confidence, taking collective action, creating external links and continuing support. Suggestions made in Halifax included identifying good practices, presenting a business case, identifying appropriate roles and responsibilities for those involved, designing a strategy, maintaining open communication, developing an action plan, involving youth and, most importantly, pursuing required funding. Potential partners to form a racism-free workplace include employers and professional associations, organizations of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities, local community groups, international, national and provincial volunteer groups, unions, academics and government agencies at all levels. 6.4 Canadian Examples Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreements signed by the federal government with several Aboriginal groups were mentioned as a suitable framework that can be used as model to develop partnerships. The Aboriginal Human Resources Development Strategy in British Columbia focuses on five sectors for partnership formation: tourism, energy, agriculture, forestry and the 2010 Olympic 57 Games. Partnerships were frequently cited during discussions as a key method to solving problems, particularly when dealing with Aboriginal communities. The formation of partnerships with the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre was also proposed as an example of outreach and presentation of job opportunities for Aboriginal communities. It could potentially be a model for similar developments involving Aboriginal Friendship Centres across the country. Successful partnership agreements have existed in Saskatchewan for several years. In the mid1990s, SaskEnergy signed agreements with the Prince Albert Grand Council, the Saskatoon Tribal Council, and Touchwood-File Hill-Qu’Appelle Tribal Council (representing over 40 First Nations communities) providing employment, education and training to First Nations peoples. Similar alliances have been developed with Saskatchewan Métis Nations to attain full Aboriginal participation in the company. Several members of the Aboriginal community in the Winnipeg sessions felt that partnerships have achieved a lot of success regarding Aboriginal human resources in Manitoba. In fact, Manitoba is often cited as a model for good practices for the Aboriginal workforce, followed by other provinces such as Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario. Among visible minorities, partnerships were fostered with the municipality, schools and the local chamber of commerce for the establishment of a Refugee Centre, considered to be beneficial in obtaining a supply of labour for agricultural activities in the Winnipeg area. In the food processing sector, skill shortages are surfacing, which creates a willingness and enthusiasm on the part of food processing companies to bring Aboriginal communities in this region into the workplace. An example of a successful partnership in Winnipeg was between Manitoba Food Processors Association, the Manitoba Métis Federation and the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs. Another partnership example cited was found outside of Winnipeg with funding from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and two lumber companies to set up jobs for high school graduates from the Aboriginal community. Economic conditions on reserves, such as seasonal work, parents unable to find work, and welfare dependency, as well as the difficulty to find local teachers on reserves complicated the process. All three levels of government have formed partnerships in Winnipeg to help Aboriginal communities with some of the challenges they face, including employment. The University of Manitoba also has similar initiatives. The broadcast media is helping in the retention of Aboriginal peoples in their workplaces. Internship and mentoring programs on a partnership basis in different institutions were also mentioned with similar goals. A partnership between a large lumber company (Tembek) and six First Nations communities in Northern Manitoba was in place to build a sawmill and employ local Aboriginal peoples. Hydro-Québec and the Innu of Uashat Mak Mani Utenam signed the Uashat Mak Mani Utenam Agreement regarding the hydroelectric project on the Sainte-Marguerite River to harmonize relations between Hydro-Québec and the Innu, to reduce the negative impacts, promotion of community’s economic and cultural development. 58 There are few examples of partnerships involving visible minorities. This is not surprising, since there is no umbrella organization of visible minorities. One of the rare examples cited was the Vancouver Economic Development Commission with 50 employers, including 10 large corporations, interested in assisting visible minorities in the workplace. The example of a Vancouver initiative, Employment Access Strategy for Immigrants was not employer driven and was less successful, according to one participant. Another example of a successful partnership was the McCain IT Centre in a small town in New Brunswick. The company contacted ethnic organizations representing South Asians and those from the Caribbean to meet the needs of new employees recruited from central Canada to help them adjust to a new town. As a result, the company was able to keep turnover at a low level. CLC participants noted that partnership agreements increase dialogue between Aboriginal peoples and employers. In 1982, using the Human Rights Act, CUPE embarked on an employment equity program with the City of Saskatoon to show there was systemic discrimination in the work place. For example, the educational requirement for clerks was that graduation had to be from city high schools in order to qualify. A joint, consensus-based approach between union and employer was used. Other municipal councils learned from this experience. Since CUPE has developed agreements between the Saskatchewan government and Aboriginal communities in the healthcare field, there has been an increase of almost 2000 Aboriginal healthcare workers. CUPE has also had success in Saskatchewan where its locals have bargained employment equity clauses into collective agreements where employers sign a contract committing to employment equity. Aboriginal Councils are supported by CUPE and are CUPE members. CUPE is now moving ahead in Manitoba and Alberta with similar agreements. 6.5 Future Directions Participants suggested the development of partnerships between various federal departments to develop a common front to eliminate racism in the workplace. In particular, the Justice Institute in British Columbia has had experience with many partnerships and their involvement was considered to be very useful in tackling issues of racism in the workplace. The two crucial agents that should play roles in partnerships to help the emergence of a racismfree workplace are the federal government and employers, including their umbrella organizations, with the help of unions and members of the civil society. If these agents are not actively involved in the process, there is very little chance of creating racism-free workplaces. A suggestion proposed by many participants was that the federal government could play a leadership role by establishing a cross-governmental secretariat to focus on partnerships for both Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities. Commitment and resources will be required in order to foster partnerships that serve as forums for learning and sharing information and good practices. CLC participants supported this idea by stating that Cabinet needs to show that they are truly serious about this matter by establishing a secretariat in charge of the Action Plan, as was done for the status of women. This should happen in addition to efforts across all federal departments. Activities should be consolidated and not handled separately. 59 Resource commitments by partners and governments are required to work towards creating partnerships that serve as forums for learning and sharing. In the long run, education is a solution but it is a long-term process and will not solve the immediate problem. However, in the short term, education of employees can help to reduce racism in the workplace. In summary, formation of partnerships between employers, unions and members of civil society with representation from Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities is considered to be a practical way to advance the idea of a racism-free workplace. The essential elements of a successful partnership are a strong leadership role by the Labour Program combined with a significant educational component and a firm commitment by employers, their umbrella organizations and unions. There are examples of successful partnerships with Aboriginal peoples, particularly in Western Canada, to learn from and build upon. 60 7. Conclusions Generally, HRSDC and the Engagement Plan participants viewed the exercise as a success. Evaluations were completed by participants at the workshops and partnership sessions. In rating the workshops on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the best, the workshop on Implementing Employment Equity: A Step-by-Step Approach was rated 5 by 63.0% of the participants who returned a questionnaire and 4 by 22.2%. The workshop, From Policies to Practice – Realities to Remedies, was rated 5 by 42.1% of participants and 4 by 43.9%. Business Challenge – Good Practices at Work was rated 5 by 14.7% of the participants and 4 by 49.0%. About 90% of participants at the partnership sessions felt that they were “excellent,” “very good” or “good” in providing an opportunity to better understand the process of partnership and its benefits. About 70% of participants felt that the sessions were “excellent,” “very good” or “good” as an effective forum to network with other participants from all sectors such as employers, unions, and representatives from Aboriginal and visible minority groups. Overall, over 75% of participants found the sessions very useful and educational. Some general conclusions can be drawn from these consultations: • Despite improvements in the representation of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in the organizations covered under the Employment Equity Act, the two groups lag significantly behind in labour market performance. There is a strong perception that racism—both overt and covert—is an obstacle for racial minorities to labour market integration. This racism is reflected in stereotyping, lack of cultural accommodation, religious and ethnic prejudices and biases. It creates barriers for the two groups in workplace entry, job retention and career advancement. The two groups lack access to informal networks frequently used to hire workers. They often lack job search and interview skills, and are often left out of training, promotional and mentoring opportunities. Aboriginal peoples face challenges in the workplace due to a negative portrayal in the media, poor quality of education on reserves, lingering effects of institutionalization and a feeling of isolation in the workplace after they actually succeed in getting a job. Members of visible minorities, especially recent immigrants, face problems stemming from the non-recognition of their qualifications and work experience outside Canada. Weak language skills, ethnic accents and a perception that they are not Canadian also work against them. There appears to be a lack of commitment by some senior management to ending racebased discrimination in the workplace. This may be due to the fact that the employment equity program is seen to be more process than results-oriented. Some participants perceive unions and other mechanisms available to deal with complaints of discrimination in the workplace as ineffective. Many stakeholders are not fully aware of the progress made by the two groups under the federal employment equity program. 61 • • • • • • • • Racism in the workplace is a manifestation of racism in society at large and cannot be fought only in the workplace. The findings in this report are somewhat counter to the statistical trends noted in the employment situation of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in the firms covered by the Employment Equity Act. In the chapter on the Current Situation in Canada, significant progress was demonstrated by employees belonging to these groups. This progress was rarely reflected in the opinions expressed by participants in the engagement sessions. The discrepancy between the reality of statistical trends and the perceptions of participants may be due to a combination of the following factors: • The letter of invitation to participants asking them to participate in engagement sessions informed them that the context of the sessions were the firms covered under the Federal Employment Equity Program and FCP. This message was reiterated during the plenary and breakout sessions. However, it was clear that the participants were frequently voicing their views about the Canadian workplaces in general and not restricting themselves to the firms covered by the Employment Equity Act. Statistical trends relate only to firms under the legislated program whereas many of the participants were from the universities and other institutions, which are under the FCP. Many participants were from civil society and labour unions. They represent their constituents not only in the firms under the two programs but in other firms as well and are more accustomed to viewing generic problems than in specific workplaces. The employers’ representatives were from human resources and employment equity divisions who are more used to hearing complaints than success stories. There have been some high profile cases of race-based discrimination, which have received a large amount of media attention and are likely to have influenced the opinions of participants. The successes achieved by racial minorities in the firms covered by the Act have not been effectively communicated to the public at large, including stakeholders who participated in these sessions. Finally, some participants did make the point that whatever progress has been made has been in the firms covered under the two federal programs. • • • • • • 62 8. Key Messages General Messages 8.1 The following table summarizes the key general messages derived from the process of the consultations as part of the Engagement Plan, as well as the follow up consultation with the CLC, and a literature review and analysis carried out as part of the project. Problem 1. Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities face barriers to entry, job retention and promotion in the workplace. These barriers stem from informal hiring practices, old boys’ networks, covert and overt racism, stereotyping, lack of cultural accommodation and lack of commitment to employment equity by senior management. Solution Promote changes in the culture and practices in the workplace. Key Messages/Suggestions • The emphasis of the Employment Equity Act should change from process to outcomes. Employers should be held accountable for not making measurable progress in developing a racism-free workplace. • Stiffer penalties should be imposed on employers for non-compliance. • Labour unions should be brought under the purview of the Act. • Managers’ performance appraisals should include results achieved in improving the representation of Aboriginal peoples and members of visible minorities in their area of responsibility. • A panel of experts should look into the successful programs to fight racial discrimination in the workplace in other countries and in other jurisdictions in Canada to learn lessons for the federal programs. • Employers under federal jurisdiction should be required to appoint anti-racism workplace committees along the lines of health and safety committees, which report directly to the CEO of the company. • Create, in cooperation with visible minorities and Aboriginal communities, a communication package (to be made widely available to the federally-regulated workplaces and beyond). This information package would provide guidance on: Policies and practical tools to be used in making the workplace more representative and welcoming for these communities. Including the objective of a racismfree workplace in the organization’s mission statement. 63 Problem Solution Key Messages/Suggestions Developing bias-free recruitment, training and promotion tools for their companies. Including Aboriginal elders and representatives of visible minorities on job interview boards. Reaching out to the communities of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities through advertising in the visible minority and Aboriginal media and holding job fairs. Providing volunteering, summer jobs and short-term, on-the-job training opportunities to Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities so that they can learn how to obtain and retain a job. Developing a training module to identify racist behaviour, such as stereotyping and subtle racial slurs and jokes. Developing a training module on the cost of discrimination and the benefits of a racism-free, diverse workplace. Assisting members of these two groups in developing networks and access to training and promotional opportunities. Providing mentoring opportunities to employees belonging to these two groups. Teaching Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities necessary skills to manage their careers. Providing assurance to supervisors/managers belonging to Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities that following anti-discriminatory policies in favour of their group will not jeopardise their career. Holding exit interviews with employees to determine if racial discomfort was a direct or indirect cause for departure. Providing convincing and factual evidence to businesses that diversity is good for business (i.e., business case). • Enhance funding to schools on reserves to improve the quality of education and reduce school dropout rates. • Indian and Northern Affairs Canada should improve life-skills education in schools on reserves with a view to improving the prospects of holding a job. • Encourage youth with aptitudes for technical 2. Women and youth belonging to Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities face double disadvantage in the workplace. Create special programs and policies needed to assist these subgroups of workers. 64 Problem Solution Key Messages/Suggestions occupations to go to trade schools without creating the issue of streaming. • Outreach programs, such as the Speakers’ Bureau of Saskatchewan, should be used to prepare Aboriginal youth for a successful career in the workplace. • Provide Aboriginal and immigrant women with day-care facilities, where needed, to help them find and keep a job. • Allow immigrant women entering the job market some years after arrival in Canada to receive language training. • Provide temporary grants to employers providing employment to women and youth belonging to racial minorities. • • Employers should recruit more than one Aboriginal employee in the organization, whenever feasible. Employers should seek the assistance of Friendship Centres and other Aboriginal community organizations through partnerships to assist in the adjustment of new Aboriginal employees, especially recent arrivals from reserves. The Labour Program should examine successful initiatives, such as Royal Eagles, by Royal Bank in Calgary, to learn what works for assisting Aboriginal workers retain their jobs. Citizenship and Immigration Canada should provide funds to organizations that help immigrants and provincial educational institutions to provide language training to immigrants. Language training should be provided up to a level sufficient for efficient functioning in a workplace environment. HRSDC should provide subsidies to employers hiring newly arrived immigrants to help them gain Canadian experience. HRSDC should take a lead role in coordinating a federal-provincialprofessional bodies initiative to expedite recognition of educational qualifications and experience acquired abroad. 3. Aboriginal peoples have problems in retaining a job because of the feeling of isolation. Make new Aboriginal employees comfortable in their new environment • 4. Recent visible minority immigrants have problems getting a job because of a lack of proficiency in an official language and nonrecognition of qualifications and experience acquired abroad. Improve • immigrants’ visible minority language skills and accelerate prior learning • assessment and recognition of credentials. • • 65 Problem Solution Key Messages/Suggestions • HRSDC should explore the possibility of credential recognition at the time of granting an immigrant visa abroad. • Labour Market Agreements with provinces should include a clause on employment equity, which should be subject to joint federal-provincial evaluations of the programs. 5. Employment programs funded by HRSDC but administered by provincial governments do not take into account the needs of racial minorities. 6. There is no mechanism to resolve the demand side issues faced by employers and the supply side problems faced by Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities in a racismfree workplace context. Programs under Federal-Provincial Labour Market Agreements should consider employment needs of racial minorities. Partnerships of employers, labour unions and representatives of civil society are the best mechanism to resolve the issues of demand and supply in the workplace to resolve issues related to racismfree workplaces. • HRSDC should encourage the formation of partnerships of stakeholders in the workplace through seed funding. It should hold a conference of large employers and their associations, labour unions and representatives of civil society to promote the idea of partnerships and to enable them to network for this purpose. • HRSDC should undertake a study of successful partnerships forged by Aboriginal peoples and other groups to learn lessons for forming successful partnerships. • HRSDC should undertake the preparation of an information package on forming and sustaining successful partnerships and make this document available to new and existing partnerships to develop racism-free workplaces. • Partnerships should be initiated for Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities in each region to find local solutions to local problems in the context of racism-free workplaces. • Business corporations in areas with large populations of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities should be asked to have at least one representative from these groups on their boards of directors. • Sector councils set up by HRSDC to address human resources issues should have representation from these two groups. • HRSDC should provide funding to Statistics Canada to extrapolate labour force availability statistics for racial minorities on 7. The views of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities are not well represented at decision-making levels in the workplace. Provide greater representation of Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities on decision-making bodies. 8. There is a lack of sufficient, pertinent and timely information to Better research and statistics should be 66 Problem address the issue of employment equity for Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Solution produced and disseminated. Key Messages/Suggestions an annual basis as they do for annual population estimates. • Labour market information on job vacancies should be disseminated in the visible minority and Aboriginal peoples’ media. • Information on occupations in great demand should be made accessible to Aboriginal youth and visible minorities, especially new immigrants, so that they may seek training in those occupations. 8.2 CLC Participants’ Key Messages and Suggestions The current funding proposed in the federal budget is a good starting point, but more is needed. CLC participants suggested the following future actions: • • Prior to the next Parliamentary review of the Employment Equity Act, the CLC suggests more meetings to share ideas. There is a need for leadership on racism issues and a need to integrate other levels of government in the process. Many issues cannot be resolved in isolation of provincial and municipal participation (health and education, placement and integration etc.). The federal government needs to be a strong advocate for the anti-racism issue, as many parts of the country are not yet on-side and some provinces allow past racist practices to continue. The federal government also needs to lead the strategy as there is a forum to bring people together to talk about the issue. Civil society cannot be effective in isolation from partnerships and joint action with employers and unions. Some employers are supportive and some are not. Education, responsibility, policies and accountability must be combined. It was noted that positive peer pressure is effective in getting people to re-examine and change their attitudes when they realize that their peers do not share their prejudiced views after all. The National Joint Employment Equity Committee is a public service union-employer vehicle. In the past, unions were meaningfully consulted to create policy frameworks. The new method sees the employer presenting the new policy and asking for comments. It is suggested that the Committee return to its past role, where there was more collaboration in policy development. • • • • • • 67 • In addition to joint policy development, joint implementation is also needed, with strong conflict resolution mechanisms and accountability measures—employers should not control enforcement and accountability aspects of policy. HRSDC-Labour Program and CLC agreed to meet with Federally Regulated Employers in Transportation and Communication and the Canadian Bankers’ Association to pursue joint activities and to obtain the same sort of information as the CLC has provided. Senior CLC and HRSDC-Labour Program officials should meet to discuss joint activities for the future. CLC should participate further in the elaboration and development of the strategy. HRSDC should convene a meeting with unions and employers; CLC will consult and gain insights from the Ontario Federation of Labour and the IWA/Steelworkers’ Union experiences; • • • • • 68