After seven years of legal proceedings, Bienné Blémur can finally turn the page on a dark episode in his life. The employee victim of racism in his workplace has reached an agreement with his employer, the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD), which recognizes the discriminatory nature of the treatment he suffered. Bienné Blémur now hopes that this happy ending will serve as an inspiration for other causes of racism and discrimination in the workplace, notably at the City of Montreal.
“I was flayed in this case. It was dramatic for me. It destroyed my financial situation, my professional situation. I had to retrain myself, ”explains Bienné Blémur, moved, during an interview at the SPJD offices on Thursday, in the company of Véronique Doucet, director general of this paramunicipal organization.
Today, however, he can close this painful chapter of his life.
Bienné Blémur had been employed by the SPJD for fifteen years and held the position of chief rigger when, on July 25, 2016, his career changed. That day, he learns from the chief machinist that, despite his seniority and his skills, he is demoted to a position which consists essentially of loading and unloading trucks.
I was scorched in this case. It was dramatic for me. It destroyed my financial situation, my professional situation. I had to retrain.
Even though he protests, he decides to comply with the directive. But the situation escalates when he accidentally snags a team leader’s helmet with a pole. This one insults him. “Be careful, squeal [mot en n] “, he throws to him in front of a dozen technicians. An hour later, Bienné Blémur was sent home on the pretext that there was no more work.
For Bienné Blémur, this episode marks the beginning of a long battle. Grievances are filed. There will even be an agreement between the employer and the union acknowledging the fact that he had been the victim of racist remarks, isolation and exclusion. Except that when he returns to work, he finds that he will have to work under the supervision of the employee who made racist remarks about him. “I decided enough was enough,” said Mr. Blémur, who quit his job. He will file a grievance against his union, the International Alliance of Stage and Theater Employees (AIEST), Local 56, for lack of representation.
The following years were marked by multiple legal proceedings against the union and against the SPJD. In 2021, the Administrative Labor Tribunal recognizes that Bienné Blémur was the victim of psychological harassment by work colleagues and “gross negligence” on the part of his union, omitting, however, the notion of racial discrimination.
In the meantime, Bienné Blémur changed careers and became a beneficiary attendant in 2020.
change of tone
A series of events will come to change the climate. In April 2022, Véronique Doucet took office as the new director general of the SPJD and, a few months later, she hired Lisiane Lafortune as senior director of human resources. “Mme Doucet called me in the fall and said: “I have read your file. What happened to you is unacceptable. I’m not responsible for what happened because I wasn’t there, but I’m responsible for how it’s going to end, and I’m going to take care of it,” says Bienné Blémur.
From this moment, the tone changes, and a dialogue begins. An agreement has finally been reached between the SPJD and Bienné Blémur. This agreement provides for financial compensation—the amount of which remains confidential—but also three declarations of recognition that the SPJD’s Board of Directors approved on April 27.
In the first, the SPJD acknowledges that in the summer of 2017, Bienné Blémur was chief rigger – a fact that was disputed. The second confirms that Mr. Blémur was “victim of vexatious discriminatory behavior having had negative psychological repercussions”. And in the third, “the SPJD recognizes the existence of systemic racism and discrimination that has led to unfair behavior and treatment”.
Bienné Blémur says he is “fully satisfied” with the agreement. “For me, recognition was the heart of the agreement. It was fundamental,” he says. “And they are public to restore my reputation, among others with my colleagues. »
Bienné Blémur also insists on highlighting the active contribution in his file of Bochra Manaï, appointed commissioner for the fight against systemic racism and discrimination in January 2021.
“For me, it’s infinitely more satisfying to have an agreement than a court decision. […] It wouldn’t have given the positive result that I see now. »
Take action
Settling Mr. Blémur’s file is one thing, but like many other organizations, the SPJD had to thoroughly review its ways of doing things in order to prevent racist and discriminatory acts from happening again. Thus, the collective agreement with the Alliance has been reviewed to include a clear framework for managing these issues. A professional relations committee has been set up to settle complaints as they arise. By the end of the year, the SPJD intends to update its harassment policy.
“You have to understand that we started from afar,” says Véronique Doucet, who talks about the necessary change in culture. “Until this collective agreement, it was not clear to the employees that we were the employer. She believes that the work done at the SPJD could be useful to the City of Montreal struggling with cases of discrimination.
Last March, an investigation by the Duty recounted the testimonies of some thirty City employees who claimed to have suffered racism and discrimination without having obtained justice. In the following days, the Plante administration undertook to set up a one-stop shop to manage complaints by the summer.
“Perhaps the route I followed will be useful for others,” believes Bienné Blémur. “Despite all the difficulties and antagonisms, there are ways to get through this. It takes goodwill, conciliation. You have to get out of the confrontation and learn to trust again. From there, anything is possible. »
Mr. Blémur intends to return to work at Parc Jean-Drapeau, while keeping his job as a part-time beneficiary attendant, which he appreciates.
The union was not a party to the agreement. Given the ongoing legal proceedings, he declined to comment.