PLEASE SIGN MY PETITION BELOW FOR CHANGE:

 Join Me in Being “a Voice for the Voiceless!”

My name is Ingrid, and I am reaching out to you not just as an individual but as a representative of countless voices that have gone unheard.

A CALL TO ACTION:

Change does not happen in isolation, so I am asking you, in Manitoba and beyond, to join me in this fight for justice and equality. Sign this petition to demand amendments to protect all workers, especially marginalized workers with union executives and representatives who are not immune to unconscious bias.

The amendments listed below are essential to fostering a fair, just, and equitable workplace for all Manitobans, especially marginalized unionized workers like I once was. Together, we can ensure that every worker is treated with dignity and respect. 

Let’s shatter “the illusion of inclusion.”

Racism and discrimination should be everyone's fight! We all belong to the human race and have equal value as human beings, so let’s stand together and honour section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is our responsibility. Let's support each other by using our voices to make a positive change today!

Together, We Are Stronger. Sign this petition, share it, pledge your support, and help amplify voices that need to be heard. Your support today will pave the way for a brighter and more equitable future for all workers in Manitoba.

Thank you for standing with me in this critical fight for justice and equality. Together, we can make a difference.

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                    PETITION

PETITION TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA:

The background to this petition is as follows:

1.In Manitoba, labour board arbitrators have exclusive jurisdiction over all complaints arising in unionized workplaces, including human rights complaints.

2. This exclusive jurisdiction established in the Supreme Court case Horrocks in October 2021 came without specific amendments to the existing Labour Relations Act and The Workplace Safety and Health Act.  

3. The exclusive jurisdiction given to Labour board arbitrators limits unionized workers to seeking legal recourse for complaints of discrimination and harassment through their union representatives and the Manitoba Labour Board.

4. However, if the union refuses to help by doing a proper investigation and filing a grievance, the only recourse is a duty of fair representation complaint at The Manitoba Labour Board.

5. The labour Relations Act and the Labour Board’s adjudication process is more set up to protect unions than to hold them accountable for failing their duty to represent. I, like many others, learned that the hard way.

Therefore, we petition the Manitoba Legislative Assembly as follows:

TO AMEND 
A. Sections 20(a)(i)(ii) and 79(1) of the Manitoba Labour Relations Act.
B. Section 43(2.1) of The Manitoba Human Rights Code.
C. Section 42(1) of The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSH Act).

TO INCLUDE
A.  A Clear definition of “Constructive Dismissal” under section 79(1) of the Labour Relations Act. That amendment will help to protect all employees from being forced out due to toxic or intolerable working conditions.

B. An amendment to Section 20 of the Labour Relations Act stating that Unions must act with reasonable care with regard to ALL of their members, not just dismissed ones.  Defining "dismissal" to include "constructive dismissal," especially when complaints of discrimination and harassment are involved. Those additions will ensure employers and unions are accountable to workers and union members in marginalized groups with complaints of harassment and discrimination who are constructively dismissed. 

C. Amending the Workplace Safety and Health Act, DEFINITION of the term Reprisal, to state the following... “reprisals include any actions, including acts of discrimination, or omissions impacting pay, benefits, seniority, and psychological well-being.

 

CURRENT DEFINITION

"reprisal" means any act or omission by an

employer or any person acting under the authority of

the employer or any union which adversely affects

any term or condition of employment, or of

membership in a union, and without restricting the

generality of the foregoing includes lay-off,

suspension, dismissal, loss of opportunity for

promotion, demotion, transfer of duties, change of

location of workplace, reduction in wages, or

change in working hours but does not include the

temporary relocation of a worker to other similar or

equivalent work without loss of pay or benefits until

a condition that threatens the safety or health of the

worker is remedied;

 

The most recent Bill - Bill 29 lacks those amendments. The bill also fails to include the term discrimination, which should have a clear definition as an act of reprisal.

D. Mandatory investigations by Workplace Safety and Health officers when the complaint involves allegations of harassment and discrimination.

NOTE: Reprisal, or retaliation, is the act of taking adverse action against someone for exercising their legal rights or asserting their rights against discrimination. Discrimination, on the other hand, involves treating someone less favorably based on a protected characteristic. Reprisals are sometimes rooted in discrimination. 

E. *Respect and Protect volunteers by including them in the WSH act. 

F. Mandatory Severance pay and discrimination damages, according to the Employment Standards Act, common law, in all collective agreements for dismissals rooted in discrimination. In addition to a clear definition of constructive dismissal in all collective agreements.

G. Thorough investigations by the Union ( interviewing all witnesses with audio recordings present) for all complaints of harassment and discrimination. Upon completion of the investigation, a mandatory grievance filed based on sufficient evidence of the allegations. 

TO INCREASE
A. the Cap on Discrimination Damages from $25,000 to $500,000 or greater to reflect the serious nature of discrimination and provide adequate remedies, in line with inflation, for victims.

In addition to; 

B. Establishing a clear timeline for adjudicating Worker’s Compensation Board (WCB) Psychological Claims.

C. Establishing the same procedures for hearings as the Manitoba Human Rights Commission at the Manitoba Labour Board. That means recording Labour Board hearings and providing unrestricted access to the audio recordings and transcripts of Labour Board hearings for Review and Reconsideration applications, Judicial reviews, and Appeals.

D. Fair remedies for proven discrimination at The Manitoba Labour Board based on the human rights code and The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, not just the Labour Relations Act and Workplace Safety and Health Act.

E. Providing detailed, annual Statistical information based on the demographics of Manitoba Labour Board Cases to monitor any issues of systemic discrimination.

These changes are not just legal technicalities; they affect unionized workers, volunteers, and anyone who comes to Manitoba to work in our vibrant workforce. Amending the laws that create policies and procedures that only perpetuate systemic discrimination in labour relations is a tangible solution to ending the problem. 

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PETITIONER’S SIGNATURES