A Federal Court hearing got underway Monday to determine whether a group of Black public servants can proceed with a class-action lawsuit alleging discrimination in the federal government.
The certification hearing, which is happening in Toronto, could last up to 12 days.
The class-action is made up of some 45,000 people who worked for the government dating back to 1970. They are asking for $2.5 billion in damages for lost salaries and pensions.
"Today, we are escalating tactics," said Nicholas Marcus Thompson, CEO of the Black Class Action Secretariat, outside the courthouse.
"State-sponsored discrimination is not acceptable."
The plaintiffs allege widespread discrimination in the public service, citing reports of anti-Black racism at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal and an internal report on discrimination at the Privy Council Office.
They say that Black public servants have been systematically denied opportunities for hiring and promotion due to their race, and that there is a hostile work environment and under-representation of Black employees in senior roles.
The federal government has said the plaintiffs could have brought individual concerns to the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
Government ministers have said they remain committed to removing barriers and ensuring Black employees have every opportunity to succeed.
A Senate report on anti-Black racism in the Canadian Human Rights Commission released last December found a "crisis of confidence" in the body and questioned its ability to respond to human-rights complaints in a "fair and equitable manner."
The study was prompted by grievances against the commission over its treatment of Black and racialized employees.
Senators found some employees were harmed by their employer, and the report noted that workplace discrimination can have significant and lasting effects.
"It is never acceptable, yet it is a daily fact of life for many Black and racialized people in Canada," the report said.
Standing with the plaintiffs in Toronto, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said federal employees should be confident they won't be discriminated against in the workplace.
"Stop fighting workers in court, and settle this case," he urged the government.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 28, 2024.
An organization that represents clothing recyclers says they鈥檙e frustrated after a W5 investigation found a fake charity and some violent players connected to organized crime have been muscling in on the clothing donation bin industry, and is calling for governments to do more.
Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.
A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says if his party forms government, it will scrap the federal sales tax on new homes sold for less than $1 million and push provinces to do the same.
Here's how retirees will get their funds from the federal benefit.
A recall has been issued for gummy candies due to pieces of wood, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Canadian doctors are calling for employers and schools not to require sick notes when it comes to short-term minor illnesses.
The count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.
A manhunt is underway in northern Austria after a hunter allegedly fatally shot two people and fled the scene, local police said Monday.
The count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.
Police with the British Columbia Highway Patrol have arrested a 28-year-old man after 73 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found inside a vehicle near the resort city of Revelstoke.
More than a week after a man was set to return from his hiking trip in northern B.C., police have released more information in hopes of advancing the missing person鈥檚 case.
New home sales in the Greater Toronto Area remained sluggish last month, but a new report suggests that the market is now primed for buyers following four consecutive interest rate cuts.
Peel Regional Police say investigators have arrested five suspects and seized dozens of guns and illegal devices used to convert firearms into automatic weapons.
An organization that represents clothing recyclers says they鈥檙e frustrated after a W5 investigation found a fake charity and some violent players connected to organized crime have been muscling in on the clothing donation bin industry, and is calling for governments to do more.
RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.
Calgary鈥檚 Mission Bridge will be closed to motorists for several months as city crews complete rehabilitation work.
Shania Twain is coming to Calgary to help kick off Stampede. The Grammy-award-winning singer will be playing the Saddledome on July 5, 2025, to mark the start of 鈥淭he Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.鈥
Grief counsellors are at Perth and District Collegiate Institute in Perth, Ont. today, as family, friends and the community mourn the death of 15-year-old Reese Stanzel.
Suspended Ottawa lawyer James Bowie has been ordered to pay $235,000 in damages to a former client after he repeatedly suggested she pay for his legal services with oral sex and released personal details about her online after the allegations were reported by 愛污传媒 Ottawa.
Firefighters are fighting a fire that has engulfed a barn in rural west Ottawa on Monday afternoon.
Montreal's mayor says a welcome sign depicting a woman wearing a veil that adorns a lobby at city hall will be taken down in the name of secularism.
The National Director of Youth Protection, Catherine Lemay, resigned at the request of the minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, after institutional scandals.
Another Liberal MNA, D茅sir茅e McGraw, has joined her colleagues Elisabeth Prass and Fr茅d茅ric Beauchemin in dissent on the issue of funding for religious schools following their party's about-face.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Police are looking for help identifying an armed robber in a costume.
A warrant has been issued for an Edmonton man in connection with a $2.3 million drug bust earlier this month.
A group of Cape Breton firefighters are apologizing after four people showed up at a Halloween dance dressed in what appeared to be Ku Klux Klan costumes.
The Saint John Police Force is asking for the public鈥檚 help in locating a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant in connection with a shooting incident in the city over the weekend.
Nearly a month earlier than last year, we have our first snowfall warning of the season issued in the Maritimes.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has honoured first responders for their actions following a fiery bus crash on the Trans-Canada Highway last year that killed 17 people.
Three youths were arrested after a senior was shot in the head with a BB gun early Monday morning.
A North End home went up in flames early Monday morning.
Candidates across Saskatchewan have made their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 campaign comes to a close and election day arrives.
With multiple polls suggesting a tight race to the finish for Saskatchewan's major political parties 鈥 here are the ridings where some extra attention may be required.
Election day has arrived in Saskatchewan. With it, the last wave of voters prepare to cast their ballots and decide who will form government in the province.
What role does ideology play in the sentencing of the man who pleaded guilty to four charges in an attack at the University of Waterloo?
The Guelph Police Service is planning to dedicate more resources to ensuring public safety in the city鈥檚 downtown area as part of an ongoing initiative.
Police say just before 5 p.m. Friday, the suspects went to an address near Dawson Road and Shelldale Crescent and banged on the door.
Candidates across Saskatchewan have made their final pitches to potential voters as the 2024 campaign comes to a close and election day arrives.
With multiple polls suggesting a tight race to the finish for Saskatchewan's major political parties 鈥 here are the ridings where some extra attention may be required.
A construction worker who was robbed, shot and left for dead last week remains in a Saskatoon hospital awaiting more surgeries.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford in Sudbury on Monday afternoon to make an infrastructure funding announcement at a wastewater facility.
Two people were busted in Nipissing First Nation trying to use fake money to buy machinery, Anishinabek Police Service says.
Former U.S. president Donald Trump has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper with a woman's first name in recent days as the Republican presidential nominee focuses his closing message on a hypermasculine appeal to men.
A home in Londesborough has been severely damaged following an early morning fire. Central Huron fire crews were called to the home on Sarah Street around 5:30 a.m.
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) and St. Joseph鈥檚 hospitals are reintroducing masking guidelines. Starting Thursday, patients at both hospitals with a fever or respiratory symptoms will be required to wear a mask except in inpatient rooms.
Two men are wanted by the Sarnia Police Service, part of a residential armed robbery investigation.
Marred by several delays, the trial of alleged human traffickers Lauriston and Amber Maloney is underway Monday in a Bradford courtroom, with both entering a not guilty plea.
Huntsville OPP and the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) are conducting a homicide investigation after three individuals were found dead in a Huntsville neighbourhood Friday evening.
Emergency crews battled a house fire in Huntsville that claimed the life of one pet on Monday.
Windsor police officers are asking for the public鈥檚 help to identify two suspects related to the death of a 69-year-old man in south-central Windsor.
A man is facing several charges after a five-hour standoff with Windsor police over the weekend.
A recall has been issued for gummy candies due to pieces of wood, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
The count of absentee ballots in B.C.鈥檚 nail-biting 2024 provincial election has put the NDP ahead of the Conservatives in the Surrey-Guildford riding.
Police with the British Columbia Highway Patrol have arrested a 28-year-old man after 73 kilograms of cocaine were allegedly found inside a vehicle near the resort city of Revelstoke.
A minor earthquake shook off the coast of B.C. Monday morning, which registered at a magnitude of 4.1, according to federal officials.
More than two years after Alannah Brown and Douglas Barker were found dead north of Penticton, police are asking for help identifying a vehicle they believe was associated with the crime.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
RCMP say a Medicine Hat man was killed in a collision between an SUV and a motorcycle in southeast Alberta on Sunday evening.
A tentative agreement has been reached between the City of Lethbridge and more than 900 employees belonging to CUPE Local 70.
The Hurricanes will be happy to be back home in Lethbridge Saturday night after losing their third in a row on the road Friday night, a 4-1 decision to the Broncos in Swift Current.
One person has been charged after police in the Sault received a report of someone asleep at the wheel last weekend in a parking lot on Bay Street.
Ontario Provincial Police say three people have been charged with arson following a fire at a Sioux Lookout apartment building Friday night.
Last week, tariffs surrounding Chinese steel and aluminum products went into effect and stakeholders in northern Ontario and abroad say it's good news.
Teams are facing off in a new eastern Newfoundland hockey league aiming to bring competitive play 鈥 and a few extra years on the ice 鈥 for young women in the province.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
Epcor says it has removed more than 20,000 goldfish from an Edmonton stormwater pond.
Witches and warlocks have been flocking to New Brunswick waterways this month, as a new Halloween tradition ripples across the province.
New Brunswicker Jillea Godin鈥檚 elaborate cosplay pieces attract thousands to her online accounts, as well as requests from celebrities for their own pieces.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
Another week, another raft of imminent challenges to Justin Trudeau's leadership of both the country and the Liberal Party.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says if his party forms government, it will scrap the federal sales tax on new homes sold for less than $1 million and push provinces to do the same.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says there has been a 鈥渟ignificant reduction鈥漷o the public safety threat since six Indian diplomatic officials were expelled from the country last week.
Transplant experts are seeing a spike in people revoking organ donor registrations, their confidence shaken by reports that organs were nearly retrieved from a Kentucky man mistakenly declared dead.
Canadian doctors are calling for employers and schools not to require sick notes when it comes to short-term minor illnesses.
A recall has been issued for gummy candies due to pieces of wood, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
An investigation by French newspaper Le Monde found that the highly confidential movements of U.S. President Joe Biden, presidential rivals Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and other world leaders can be easily tracked online through a fitness app that their bodyguards use.
A British man who used artificial intelligence to create images of child abuse was sent to prison for 18 years on Monday.
Renowned Canadian author Margaret Atwood, who is currently writing her memoir, said in an interview that she is too old to be worried about the rise of artificial intelligence and described herself as still having a 'good time' writing.
Adele and Celine Dion were each brought to tears after an emotional interaction during Adele's concert at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
Colin Farrell took time out from his acting schedule on Sunday to complete the Dublin Marathon 鈥 while pushing an old friend in a wheelchair.
Victor Garber got teary-eyed when he walked into a brunch in his honour Sunday in London, Ont.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike said on Monday it sued Delta Air Lines in U.S. District Court in Georgia after a faulty software update prompted a global outage in July.
Volkswagen has informed employee representatives that it wants to close at least three plants in Germany, the head of the company's works council said Monday.
American Airlines is testing a new technology at three airports across the U.S. during the boarding process that aims to cut down on passengers who try to cut the line.
One bar in Tokyo has been trying to reintroduce to locals and visitors alike a taste of doburoku, one of the oldest and most controversial drinks in Japanese history.
British chef Jamie Oliver is asking for help to solve the mystery of a missing award-winning cheddar, worth US$390,000.
With jaw-dropping big wall ascents and a life packed with adrenaline and adventure, climber Tommy Caldwell has had a career worthy of 鈥 and captured by 鈥 a feature film.
Dwyane Wade鈥檚 status as a Miami Heat legend was further cemented on Sunday as the franchise unveiled an eight-foot statue of the three-time NBA champion.
San Francisco 49ers star Nick Bosa crashed his teammates' postgame interview on Sunday to show his support for former U.S. president Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election with a hat emblazoned with Trump's slogan: Make America Great Again.
Leon Draisaitl scored his second goal of the game 18 seconds into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Sunday night.
Volkswagen has informed employee representatives that it wants to close at least three plants in Germany, the head of the company's works council said Monday.
A 17-year-old Ottawa driver was caught speeding nearly 90 km/h over the speed limit on Highway 417.
Based on initial appearances, there are signs indicating the automobile industry is in healthy shape 鈥 for now.
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