I keep thinking we need a public enquiry into racism and bullying at the city’s workplaces. Council and city management had years to fix the widespread malaise. They were awful at it.
Halifax city employees who suffered racism, misogyny and bullying at work, can now call a tip line. As well, the process to hire a consultant to look at safe workplace issues has been set in motion. But are these measures designed to really fix this problem, or are they a distraction?
Liane Tessier , the former Halifax firefighter and co-founder of Equity Watch, believes that Halifax employees who suffered racism, misogyny and bullying at work deserve a public inquiry, not just some quarterly updates to Council and a review by an external consultant. Tessier fought the city for 12 years after suffering abuse by management and fellow workers before she was vindicated.
Our mayor and Council don’t have the political will to put an end to the bullying and racism that sp many HRM workers are being subjected to.
Equity Watch, a group opposed to workplace bullying and discrimination, calls for an independent inquiry into workplace conditions at the Halifax Regional Municipality after the latest revelations about racism at Halifax Transit.
Last evening’s founding meeting of Equity Watch was successful beyond her wildest expectations, Halifax writer and activist Judy Haiven tells the Nova Scotia Advocate. Equity Watch is a new organization that aims to call out public and private employers who refuse to stamp out bullying, misogyny and systemic discrimination in their workplaces. “I was very surprised, I expected maybe a handful of people, and what we got were 35 angry people ready for action.”
Former firefighter and justice fighter for ever Liane Tessier speaks at the Halifax Women’s March about her 12-year battle with HRM and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission. “For me, coming forward, speaking out, has been the sanest thing I have ever done in my life, no matter how many people try to shut me up. Remaining silent is guaranteed only to change nothing at all.”
The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission is rewriting the history of the Liane Tessier case on its website, omitting how it fought Liane every step of the way. Liane isn’t happy about it. How can you even begin to fix something if you refuse to see any problem in the first place?
This leaflet was handed out by Liane Tessier’s supporters prior to the public apology issued to her by Halifax Fire on Monday, December 18. It is well worth a read.
After twelve years of fighting systemic gender discrimination at Halifax Fire Liane Tessier finally received an apology, but not a very good one. Hardly an hour later she received an email from a former colleague, illustrating how much more work will be required before misogyny at the workplace is finally a thing of the past.