Standing together for Employment Equity

UFCW Canada is joining forces with its allies in the progressive movement to fight the Harper government’s attack on Employment Equity.

The Conservative government appears to be bent on clawing back Employment Equity measures in the federal public service that guarantee merit based hiring, and make sure qualified individuals are not discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity.

To stop the Conservative government’s Employment Equity claw back, UFCW Canada has endorsed an open letter signed by a number of leading civil society organizations and progressive individuals. The open letter was delivered to Stephen Harper on Thursday, August 5.

The open letter strongly urges the Conservative government to stop “perpetuating the myth about employment equity as replacing merit-based hiring” and to start “strengthening employment equity measures, and educating all Canadians about the need for such programs.”

In addition to the open letter, UFCW Canada National President Wayne Hanley wrote Stephen Harper directly, advising the Conservative government that Canada’s largest private-sector union has grave concerns about this issue. To read the National President’s letter to Stephen Harper, click here.

UFCW Canada is calling on all activists, friends and supporters to join the fight for Employment Equity by voicing their concerns to Prime Minister Harper in a letter or email message of their own.


Vol. X No. 31 • August 9, 2010