Old complaints about bullying and dysfunction at HRM workplaces resurfaced when Cathie Barrington, a former manager in HRM’s Council Support Office, was called out for posting vile racist posts on social media.
“Several African Nova Scotian HRM employees I spoke with compare their working conditions to the working conditions in the Southern United States of the 1950’s,” writes Raymond Sheppard. “In my humble opinion HRM has been singing the diversity song without learning the dance that goes along with it.”
Raymond Sheppard on what would make 2019 a better year than 2018.
It may not look that way, but poor Nova Scotia is just so very very racist.
Raymond Sheppard, representing African Nova Scotian City workers, and members of Equity Watch held a joint press conference to argue that in terms of bullying and racism there is no political will among senior management to truly address the issues, and that it is time for an independent third party, like the City’s Auditor General, to hold an inquiry.
We cannot count on management or Council to deal with workplace racism, misogyny, ableism and sexism at Halifax City Hall. Matt Whitman says, let’s get the city’s Auditor General involved, and that’s a good idea.
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.
Two more former councillors join Jackie Barkhouse in her call for a public inquiry into workplace bullying and racism at HRM.