HRDC Meeting Minutes - January 26, 2024

Present:

Regret:

Stacy McLaren - Board Liaison - Chair Jennie Esnard - NUREG - Outgoing Chair

Mary Lycett - AFS - Member

Binana Madikama - SR - Member

Madeeha Choudhry - IT - Member

Farzana Merani - AFS - Member

Jacquie Dixon - AFS - Friend of the Committee

Malcolm Lewis-Richmond - PIPSC Staff Resource Coralie Leduc - Administrative Assistant

Mitesh Popat - ENG - Member

Imam Din Kamaldon - AFS - Member

Guests:

Judith Leblanc - PIPSC - National Steward Officer

In this first meeting of 2024, the newly appointed committee chair, Stacy McLaren, offers words of welcome and thanks to the previous committee chair, Jennie Esnard. As chair and board liaison, Stacy will be available to lead the committee until December 2024, when the board of directors will change their executive membership. As a member of the 2023 HRDC, Stacy’s appointment allows for continuity in the upcoming transition. The new committee members are to be announced shortly. Although new members usually start their terms in early January, Stacy’s request to have the 2023 term extended to the end of January was approved, making this meeting with previous committee members possible.

Binana re-iterates the pressing need for membership terms to be longer than the current one-year limit. The frequent change in members also presents obstacles relating to booking travel and accommodation arrangements, as longer terms would allow for the development of experienced committee members, making the overall process more efficient and needing less logistical/administrative support. Ideally, the member onboarding process would include a brief training session to accelerate understanding of expectations and duties. 

The request for longer committee terms was brought up as a resolution to present to the AGM, but unfortunately, it did not proceed. Stacy will ensure this request is reviewed again in 2024. 

Jacquie highlights that opportunities for extended involvement would facilitate the transfer of knowledge and event planning for caucuses as well, ensuring the maximization of the committee and caucus momentum. Moreover, the allocated committee and caucus budgets should be communicated to incoming members. 

Agenda adoption was moved by Farzana, seconded by Mary, all in favour.

The HRDC reviews the minutes for the November 3rd, 2023 and December 18th, 2023 meetings. 

November 3rd, 2023, meeting minutes:

• Action items are reviewed and updated accordingly.
• Approval of the minutes is moved by Mary Lycett and seconded by Madeeha Choudhry. Minutes carried unanimously. 

December 18th, 2023, meeting minutes:

• Action items are reviewed and updated accordingly.
• The typo in the acronym “EAP” is amended. 
• The minutes are approved unanimously.

4.1 Black Caucus - Caucus des personnes noires

Jacquie reiterates key points from the report on the Black Caucus’s 2023 activities that had previously been sent in. Activities included meet-and-greet sessions with constituents across government departments. These were well received and generated participation in the CLC AGM. In turn, this increased the participation of black constituents at PIPSC’s AGM as more people became aware of the HRDC’s activities and became eager to get involved. The workshops were an important avenue to inform members of the black class-action lawsuit and receive general feedback. These confirmed the demand for more of these events. 

The Black Caucus (co-)chairs would like to tally the amount of (new) stewards recruited due to the caucus’ activities across the country (15 new stewards were recruited at the AGM for the National Capital Region alone, although the demographics are not recorded). Opportunities for education and mentorship should be offered to Black stewards, as some have expressed a lack of support to address the particular challenges they face. 

General vision for 2024: Continue promoting all the caucuses and providing more workshops and education. The committee must remain consistent, have a robust database to keep track of the people it represents, and better integrate them into the overall planning. If possible, more funding should be obtained to increase committee activities.

Stacy to bring up the question of funding for the HRDC to the board. 

Regarding the offensive remarks a member made at the AGM, PIPSC must respond accordingly to instil trust in members of equity-seeking groups, especially in light of the general criticism that adequate measures are not taken when such incidents occur regionally. The Institute’s response to an incident that happened front and centre will communicate its true values to members at large and whether grievances will be taken seriously. This critical juncture showcases the need for action rather than tolerance. The affair has been mostly managed behind closed doors with minimal consultation from the HRDC. The status of the grievance at the time of the meeting remains unknown. 

The Institute’s response so far does not communicate to members that it is safe to decry incidents of harassment of any nature. Heads of organizations must be held accountable to ensure the resolution of complaints. 

4.1.1 Discussion on reactions to email invitation for a Black Mental Health Webinar

The committee discusses the negative responses received in response to an all-member invitation to a webinar on black mental health at work, which used the words “white supremacy.” 

First, it is worth considering that different cultures and different communities attribute different meanings to certain words. Although the Institute should not avoid using the correct terminology, it should recognize sensitive wording before emails are sent. As such, the committee should flag potentially loaded words and have a standard email answer at the ready. The tone should be neutral yet firm. 

Second, the committee was surprised that the email was sent out with little overview from the HRDC. This should be remedied when possible. 

Third, although the negative reactions to this particular email were not more numerous than in other similar cases, the matter reached high-level bodies. The committee should investigate why this happened and how it can position itself to handle similar matters relating to human rights and diversity.

4.2 Indigenous Caucus - Caucus des Autochtones

Developing and growing a network of young Indigenous professionals is needed. Young Indigenous professionals have expressed the desire to connect with other Indigenous professionals of their age group. This allows for proactive conversation that encompasses the realities of today that might be overlooked when depending exclusively on older Indigenous professionals. This is a tremendous opportunity for these young professionals to implement their ideas and collaborate with others. 

Stacy to talk with Greg Scriver about recruiting young Indigenous professionals.

4.3 Workers of Colour Caucus - Caucus des travailleurs de couleur

The plan for this caucus was to meet 4 times over the year. Despite having the largest number of members who signed up, caucus meetings will generally have approximately 10 people in attendance. Although the active participants are very engaged, there is the question of whether caucus activities should open up to allies. To preserve a guaranteed safe space, formal caucus meetings are to be held amongst members of colour, although certain activities could be opened up to members outside of these communities. The degree of involvement of members at large was brought up at the AGM, with allies expressing the desire to support caucus activities and learn more about key issues. This could also be an opportunity for intersectional collaboration amongst the other caucuses.

One of the biggest challenges to the smooth functioning of this caucus is access to a Zoom licence. The HRDC is to ask if the allocated Zoom account can be used for the caucuses. Staff resources could facilitate the coordination of Zoom meetings for the various caucuses. 

4.4 Workers with Disabilities Caucus - Caucus des personnes handicapées

After the general meeting, it was suggested that now is an opportune time to recruit new members actively, given the increased awareness of the disabilities caucus.

The query was raised regarding whether caucus chairs would continue in their roles even if they were not committee members. This topic will be further discussed in the Jan 27th meeting to clarify expectations and responsibilities.

Jennie and Mary presented a resolution addressing disabilities and the duty to accommodate them. It was noted that despite good intent, the accommodations at the AGM were poorly executed and not entirely functional. To avoid accessibility accommodations being an afterthought in the AGM planning stages, the HRDC and the disabilities caucus should be consulted a few months before the event.

Concerns were raised about washroom and room access for activities. For example, allocating larger rooms to certain speakers despite smaller audiences was criticised for not adequately considering attendees' distribution, which created access barriers. Even for members without mobility issues, accessing microphones during the discussion periods was challenging. To address this issue, floating microphones should perhaps replace microphone stands.

The frequent channel changes for those using interpretation services caused confusion, making it difficult for members to interact with the activities and various topics as they were happening. 

Considering food allergies and dietary restrictions during the event is recognized as a success, indicating a positive aspect of accessibility at the AGM. However, the dining area configurations were not well arranged. 

The committee emphasizes the importance of their consultation with the AGM task force in making venues and events more accessible. 

4.5 Women’s Caucus - Caucus des femmes

The Women's Caucus has conducted five meetings to date, during which the main guiding principles and various action items were established. The discussions have centred around identifying advocacy tools and addressing questions of equality versus equity. The caucus would like to adopt an intersectional approach to addressing diverse issues impacting women, aiming to include more identities in the sessions.

Farzana, the Caucus chair, has been working with Catherine Gagnon to organize an event for International Women’s Day in March. 

The caucus would like to receive the HRDC’s help in establishing a member support group where women or gender-diverse members of PIPSC can Identify caucus members and reach out accordingly. The goal is to connect people by facilitating networking between women who want to be mentors and mentees. If a forum is created, it should allow for intersectional realities where members can anonymously reach out to relevant representatives to receive support and guidance. Confidentiality and discretion are to be prioritised.

Stacy to bring up to the ITSP the caucus’ desire to make tools and resources easily accessible and available in a confidential manner for those who need them. Work with Navigar to facilitate this project.  

Email groups tend to be quite large, so a forum would allow for more active members to communicate effectively and avoid irritating members who want minimal email updates. For this forum to work, leaders must be identified, especially those with great communication skills, not just those with distinguished careers. Although the initiatives led by the HRDC and its caucuses are beneficial, it is critical also to include experiences and expertise from the Institute’s labour side. 

To find and develop leaders within PIPSC, member tracking mechanisms should be improved to maximise the Institute’s extensive network. The recent announcement of restructuring by the President has raised uncertainties about the exact placement of policy development, especially with the dissolution of the Policy and Communications department. 

The institute lacks a dedicated health and safety team, which impacts how concerns over disabilities accommodations within the organisation are addressed. More specifically, there is a lack of clarity on proper procedures during emergencies, and filed reports have no clear designated recipients or contact points. Establishing a health and safety person knowledgeable about meeting protocols and responses to specific incidents is critical, and should be granted access to PIMS. 

There was talk about hiring a safety officer at the national level, either at the board level or at the Executive Committee; however, the state of this project is unclear. If such a position is not created, meetings (on-site or off-site) should have a designated individual who is tasked with health and safety matters, both occupational and first-aid-related. Past experiences of HRDC members, such as a bomb training session, have showcased just how unprepared the Institute remains. We must ensure the safety of our members during meetings. Perhaps a general call-out should be organized to recruit members who are interested in occupying health and safety roles.

Stacy to ask about the status of hiring a safety officer at the national level.

4.6 2SLGBTQ+ Caucus - Caucus des LGBTQ+

The 2SLGBTQ+ Caucus had two meetings in the past year. At the AGM, younger community members expressed their eagerness to get involved in the caucus for the upcoming year. 

Malcolm to check in with Stacy to identify and reach out to members for the 2SLGBTQ+ caucus. 

A successful membership consultation in November 2023 took place. Around 200 members participated in the Black Class-action Lawsuit consultation. This is a good starting point for the Black Caucus to advocate for proper compensation for our members. 

The first draft of the Black Class-Action Lawsuit Town Hall Consultation Report is almost complete and will be shared with the Black Caucus shortly. Ideally, the results can be shared in February, as it is Black History Month. Members of the Black Caucus (Malcolm, Jennie, Jacquie, Din) are to meet and determine the path forward following the consultation. For now, a video and web post are being made, with a report shared with the membership in February. This report can also be shared with the HRDC.

There are currently no updates for the class-action Secretariat, as the court meeting is set to occur later in May. Nevertheless, the Secretariat intends to organise an event or a webinar to celebrate the historic win when the government announced that “Black” should have a respective category in the Employment Equity Act. PIPSC’s support for such a webinar is welcome. 

The committee members take a look at the current draft of the Steward Application Renewal Forms.  

National Steward Officer (NSO) Judith Leblanc joins the meeting and offers an overview of the steward framework; its goals, recommendations, and current status. This includes learning streams (filières d’apprentissage) and the ladder of engagement (échelle de mobilisation).

Since the NSO's role is more related to steward recruitment, the HRDC should contact the Education Department to address concerns more specific to EDI training for stewards.

The committee is glad MFEN reached out to PIPSC and the HRDC, although it was unclear what kind of concrete support the network requested from the committee and the Institute. To proactively engage with MFEN, the requests would need to be redirected to the appropriate decision-making bodies. 

The committee will consider drafting a template for guests to complete before the meeting so that conversations are fruitful and comparable between various groups seeking the committee’s support. This applies to groups who reach out to the HRDC rather than guests sought out by the committee. 

HRDC members recognize that further education on the challenges and realities of Muslim professionals in Canada is needed for both committee members and members. The committee is to look into the CLC’s pamphlet and course on Islamophobia and set up a follow-up meeting between MFEN and committee members Stacy McLaren, Madeeha Choudhry, and Malcolm Lewis-Richmond. 

Due to President Carr’s absence at today’s HRDC meeting, Jewish Public Servants Network representatives will attend the next HRDC meeting in 2024 to have an equal opportunity for an audience with the Institute. To facilitate proactive conversation, the committee will consider developing clearer guidelines on what kind of support can be offered and tailor questions accordingly.  More education on the realities and challenges facing Jewish professionals in Canada is also needed. 

One obstacle to the Institute's helping MFEN and JPSN alike concerns the unknown proportion of PIPSC members who are part of these networks. Since the union’s mandate is to represent our professionals, the focus should be on feasible actions we can take for our Jewish and Muslim members. 

Overall, the committee should look into obtaining data on membership demographics, the number of grievances related to ethnicity and religious matters, and the relevant professionals’ perspectives on their relationship with employers regarding their faith. 

Once the HRDC meets with JPSN, a joint statement regarding the Gaza Strip conflict will be created.  

10.1 Post-mortem convention presentation to Task Force 2023

The key takeaways from the survey results of HRDC activities in the 2023 PIPSC AGM are as follows: Both the workshops and panels were incredibly well-received, with most members feeling that the topics were interesting and that they would like to know more. The committee hopes to organise more workshops and panels on human rights and diversity throughout 2024. Stacy gives kudos to the speakers and committee members who made things happen and the membership at large for their openness and interest. 

Top workshops:

1. On the Frontline: Engaging a Diverse Union Base with Inclusive, Affirming and Welcoming Practices
2. Inner Healing for Meaningful Indigenous Reconciliation
3. Bystander Intervention Training

Top panels:

1. Empowering Futures: Cultivating Women’s Mentorship
2. How accessible and inclusive is the Public Service Anyway?
3. Trans-forming our Assumptions
4. Working While Black

10.2 Roundtable

Members thank each other for a pleasant and productive year. The committee was able to have its voices heard and adapted well to short-notice changes.