The Montreal City Council adopted on Monday – with some reservations from the opposition – a declaration to reaffirm the importance of fighting racism, in the wake of revelations about cases of discrimination among City employees. The Plante administration also announced that a committee of experts had been set up to assist it in implementing a one-stop shop aimed at simplifying the filing of complaints by employees, and that this committee would be chaired by Maryse Alcindor.
The declaration presented to the municipal council by the president of the executive committee, Dominique Ollivier, with the support of the mayoress Valérie Plante, describes as “revolting” the situations exposed in the investigation of the Duty published last March. About thirty City employees, from nine boroughs of the metropolis, had then testified to the racism and discrimination of which they had been victims. Several of them had lodged a complaint with their employer, but felt that they had not obtained justice.
“Such situations are appalling and must be strongly and unequivocally denounced,” the statement said. Appropriate sanctions and disciplinary measures are necessary against the aggressors. »
Committee created
This statement emphasizes that the City of Montreal must reaffirm “loud and strong” that racism is a violation of human rights and freedoms, that “zero tolerance is essential” and that the City demands that central departments and the boroughs to establish work environments free of racism and discrimination. The declaration also insists on the need to strengthen sanctions and disciplinary measures against those who engage in discriminatory acts.
As the administration announced last month, a one-stop shop will be created to facilitate the filing of complaints by employees who have been discriminated against and to ensure that they are dealt with more efficiently. To carry out this project, the administration has also set up an external committee made up of experts. Dominique Ollivier revealed on Monday that the administration had entrusted the chairmanship of this committee to Maryse Alcindor, commissioner at the Montreal Public Consultation Office (OCPM). She was the one who led the OCPM’s consultations on systemic racism in 2018 and 2019. Mme Ollivier also specified that this committee held its first meeting on Monday.
Of Haitian origin, Mr.me Alcindor is a lawyer by training. Former Deputy Minister at the Department of Immigration, she notably held the position of Director of Education at the Quebec Human Rights Commission.
Disagreement
The opposition, however, expressed its dissent regarding one of the elements of the declaration, namely that relating to the establishment of a committee of experts to validate the new complaints system.
Several elected officials took the floor to question the establishment of this committee, the composition of which was not revealed on Monday, in addition to President Maryse Alcindor, and whose mandate does not seem clear to them. “We have nothing against this person,” Councilor Alba Zuniga Ramos said of Ms.me Alcindor. “We imagine that she has all the expertise to be able to work, but we are very worried about the fact that things are done a little in secret. »
“Who is on this committee? Who appointed the members? What is his mandate? Is it inclusive? What is the role and responsibilities of this committee? “, for his part asked the mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa, who deplored that the municipal council was kept out of this process.
Employed for five years by the City of Montreal before being elected, the councilor of Ensemble Montreal Abdelhaq Sari said he arrived in Quebec in 2002. Before being hired by the City, he worked in the private sector. “Never have I known, seen and observed simplistic, racist, even homophobic remarks more than at the City of Montreal. I have known several colleagues who filed a complaint for harassment and racist remarks, but I can tell you one thing: they regretted it afterwards. »
The opposition tried to have the declaration split so that the passage on the committee of experts could be withdrawn and the elected representatives of Ensemble Montréal could vote in favor of the declaration whose spirit they supported. But council chair Martine Musau Muele argued that splitting the statement was not possible. Projet Montréal, for its part, refused to amend its statement.
The declaration was finally adopted by the majority of the city council, with the dissent of Ensemble Montreal.
During a telephone interview, Dominique Ollivier specified that the committee of experts would be limited to two people. Thus Mohamed S. Cherif, former founding member of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations who was also at the Quebec Human Rights Commission, will work with Maryse Alcindor. “They will take a critical and outside look at the work we have done so far and suggest ways to improve, if necessary,” she explained. “Mme Alcindor is a person who has no complacency, as demonstrated by the OCPM report. »
They will meet twice a week so that the counter can be set up by the summer, said Mme Olivier.
Remember that last month, Ensemble Montréal had demanded an independent inquiry into racism and discrimination from the City of Montreal, which the Plante administration had refused. “For me, the time is no longer for documentation, but for action. This is what we are working to do, ”said the mayor.