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.
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.
Two more former councillors join Jackie Barkhouse in her call for a public inquiry into workplace bullying and racism at HRM.
We’re making good progress addressing racism at the workplace, said Halifax CAO Jacques Dubé. The numbers tell a different story.
Finally we learn some details around the free bus pass for people on social assistance who live in HRM.
Former Halifax Councillor Jackie Barkhouse says that during her term she often told management and Mayor Kelly of staff being harassed and bullied, but that these reports were ignored. Barkhouse believes now is the time for an independent and public inquiry into the toxic workplace that HRM has become for many employees.
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.
An HRM lawyer argued that racist comments made by employees at Halifax Transit are protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Very smooth.
A Nova Scotia Human Rights tribunal has found that HRM allowed racism to fester unchallenged at Halifax Transit.To what extent such horrific racism still occurs at Halifax transit today, and what the City will do beyond the NSHRC-mandated measures we may never know.
Don’t get me wrong, free bus passes for all Halifax residents on social assistance is a good thing. But what about the people in rural NS? And what about the people who will lose their transportation special needs subsidy? Always constructive, I also offer a solution: Raise the rates!