Class action lawsuit filed against government on behalf of Black Federal Public Service workers

February 10 2025

In 2020, a class action lawsuit was filed in the Federal Court of Canada on behalf of Black Federal Public Service workers who were employed in 1970 or later, as well as those who applied to the Public Service of Canada and were denied employment based on their race. The lawsuit is seeking long-term solutions to permanently address systemic racism and discrimination in the Public Service of Canada. Damages include the wrongful failure to promote, intentional infliction of mental suffering, constructive dismissal, wrongful termination, negligence, and in particular, violations of employment law, human rights law, and Charter breaches. The impact of the discrimination is even greater on Black people who are part of other equity-deserving groups—like Black women, Black people with disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ Black people—due to the ways different forms of discrimination intersect. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), who represent the majority of the workers involved in the class action, are supportive of the class action. NUPGE has also made a financial donation to the Black Class Action Secretariat, the non-profit organization which was created to manage the class action and combat systemic racism and discrimination in employment.

The class action is currently waiting for certification. Despite admissions from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and former RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki stating that systemic racism and discrimination against Black people exists in Canada, the federal government has spent close to $10 million fighting the class action.