HRDC Meeting Minutes - January 27, 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

Mitesh Popat - ENG - Member

Imam Din Kamaldon - AFS - Member Coralie Leduc - Administrative Assistant

Guests:

No guests.

The chair, Stacy McLaren, welcomes the committee members, friends, and staff present and offers opening remarks. 

The agenda was approved the day prior with no changes.

Stacy reads aloud the list of oncoming committee members and friends. Outgoing members and friends are thanked for their hard work and welcome to continue their work with the caucuses. They are also welcome to support the HRDC in other ways if they desire. 

PIPSC should have representatives with significant presence and influence at national human rights and diversity events. HRDC members should attend events and conferences whenever possible. Feeling ill-prepared for last year's CLC human rights meeting, Jennie highlights the need for proper training of representatives before important events. The committee believes PIPSC is one of the only unions where human rights and diversity are not prioritized in daily operations and progress.

The committee should decide on the campaigns to run and start now to build something strong and impactful before September. They can engage community partners, unions, regions, and constituent bodies.

• Make a recommendation to the board to assign someone to work with Indigenous groups on getting clean drinking water to the communities that need it. The Institute has skilled professionals who can help, and this is a good opportunity to let these communities see that ABC is serious about providing concrete help.
• Revisit the Northern Nurse Campaign from the President’s Office and resume it if the incoming HRDC members are interested. Link it with the clean drinking water campaign for urgency and support to improve both initiatives.
• Ensure that no requests for support are dismissed. The Institute should treat every case as significant and immediately correct any instance of harm or dismissal of support requests. This requires providing training on human rights and diversity and hiring individuals who understand what members are going through. PIPSC should recognize the risk of complacency among long-time job holders and prioritize connecting emotion with professionalism within the labour movement.
• Advocate for the HRDC’s involvement in the 2024 PIPSC AGM accessibility audit. See if an accessibility audit can also be performed for PIPSC headquarters.

There is a brief report on the Indigenous Lobby Day (CLC). Key issues include safe drinking water and sanitation, justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and honouring residential school children and their families. Even if reports are submitted, action remains to be taken. PIPSC has the privilege of engaging with activists and should enhance its efforts accordingly.

Moment of silence to:

• Recognize today as international holocaust remembrance day. 
• Grieve PIPSC steward who took their life and had reached out to the union for support.

Highlights

The committee reviews the goals they set for 2023 at their first meeting and reflects on them. 

1. The equity caucuses were successfully launched on an equal level.
2. The caucuses were successfully populated.
3. Continue the efforts to promote caucuses in the different regions.
4. Continue to motivate PIPSC members to mobilise in union activities.
5. HRDC workshops at the 2023 PIPSC AGM.
6. Malcolm and the political action and engagement team’s role in increasing the visibility of the HRDC among members.
7. The HRDC sees a real appetite for safe spaces within PIPSC. The committee plays a critical role in creating opportunities for everyone to come together and learn about issues.
8. HRDC involvement in Pride and bringing forth important issues
9. High attendance at the workshop on disabilities and the workplace.
10. Indigenous Day Live and the distribution of orange sweaters. Indigenous members lead activities and discussed issues rather than the union speaking for them.
11. The Board’s participation in activities about Indigenous issues in the Quebec region.
12. Solidarity parade at CLC event. 
13. 100+ applications to participate in the HRDC.

Successes

1. Positive rapport between committee members, friends, and staff. 
2. The political action and engagement team helped the HRDC secure workshops at the PIPSC AGM. 
   1. In the future, see if it is also possible to avoid the workshops overlapping.
   2. See if a networking session where the caucuses can be promoted is possible at the next AGM.
3. Lead with honesty, openness, and trust.
4. The contributions of the Workers of Colour caucus on educating the membership on important issues and for their leadership in getting things done. 
5. The Women’s Caucus’ efforts to eliminate misogyny.
6. The caucuses’ ability to connect people and provide support and resources to solve problems.
7. Binana’s outreach to disengaged members included providing them with promotional items, taking the time to hear what they had to say, highlighting what the union and the HRDC can do for them, and communicating intent to improve human rights and diversity at their workplace.

Opportunities for improvement

1. Explore committee structure and restructure as needed. Recruit more individuals to cover regions outside of the NCR adequately.
2. Further involve friends of the committee. Determine meeting dates early on to facilitate planning, travel, and incorporation of caucus check-ins.
3. Clarify with the board how many meetings the committee can hold following the updated policy at the 2023 AGM. 
4. Hold 1.5-day meetings if necessary and possible.
5. Get the caucus chairs to touch point with the HRDC once a month.
6. Amend the bylaws to lengthen the committee's term. The committee will try to have their resolutions added for the 2024 AGM.
7. Plan more events, networking opportunities, and involve the youth.
   1. Creating a coffee/barista event with non-alcoholic beverages
   2. Events should mix business and topics that excite members.
8. Develop a network using applicants who were not selected and get them involved in the caucuses.

Stacy thanks the committee members, friends, and staff and reiterates that every voice matters. A special thanks is given to Marielle Nadon, the administrative assistant who supported the committee throughout 2023, and to LMB.