Black civil servants threaten to pull out of mental health plan amid ongoing racism – GLOBAL
December 14, 2022
A group of Black federal public servants is accusing the government of racism and is threatening to pull out of the development of a mental health action plan meant for Black workers.
The Federal Black Employee Caucus sent a letter to the Treasury Board’s chief human resources officer this month saying the workers supported efforts to address racism within the public service, only to be “continuously faced with the crushing weight of it.”
In a December 2021 mandate letter, the prime minister tasked Treasury Board President Mona Fortier with establishing a mental health fund for Black public servants. The government has budgeted $3.7 million over four years for the program.
That came about as a result of a proposed class-action lawsuit that was filed against the federal government in 2020.
Led by Nicholas Marcus Thompson, the $2.5-billion claim alleges that since the 1970s, some 30,000 Black civil servants lost out on opportunities and benefits because of their race.
The claim also includes another 15,000 people who allege they were never hired into the federal public service because of their race.
Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/9350224/canada-black-civil-servants-mental-health/
