Halifax CAO misses promised deadline on workplace racism update

Halifax Regional Municipality'schief administrative officer missed a promised deadline Friday to deliver an update about racism in the workplace.

Jacques Dub is now expected to provide the update by Wednesday, and itwill cover more than just one department.

Initially, Dubwas to provide a progress report on the implementation of recommendations in a 2016 consultant's report about racism in the Transportation and Public Works Department.

Black workers from the departmentdemonstrated in front of city hall on May 8,protesting what they said was a lack of progress on those recommendations.

Survey on racism

As part of the consultant's review, the Turner Group surveyed employees in 2015about the level of racism, sexism and homophobia in the department.

Thefinal report includedthese comments from employees:

• "You might as well be in Mississippi 40 years ago that's how bad it is."
• "This is a poisoned workplace and something needs to be done."
• "I can't stay here. My sense of well-being has been compromised."
• "The problem is rampant and systemic."
• "Stop the management bullying. Teach them some respect please."
• "If I had an issue I wouldn't complain. It would ruin my career at HRM."

The Turner Group made 96 recommendations, including updatingpolicies, improvinghiring practices and changinghow complaints are handled. The final report was completed January 2016.

Dubissued a statement on the day of the protest that said he would have an update on the implementation of the recommendations within a month.

But since the May demonstration,a decision about other racism complaints was released.

A Nova Scotia human rights board of inquiryexamined what it called "aggressive racism" atHalifax Transit's bus garage in Burnside. The board's ruling, released May 29, found the municipality was liable for what took place.

Dub now plans to address both the recommendations of the review of theTransportation and Public Works Department, as well as issues raised by other employees including those who work for Halifax Transit.