Draft:Black Class Action Secretariat


The Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS) is a Canadian national litigation and advocacy organization focused on addressing systemic discrimination public institutions through strategic litigation, public policy advocacy, coalition-building, and human rights engagement. Black Class Action Secretariat

BCAS gained national prominence through its role in organizing the proposed “Black Class Action”, a proposed $2.5-billion lawsuit against the Government of Canada alleging systemic anti-Black discrimination across the federal public service.[1][2]

The litigation has been described by media outlets, labour organizations, and government records the largest, and most high-profile employment-related discrimination class actions in Canadian history and as a “landmark” case concerning systemic anti-Black discrimination in Canada.[3][4][5][6]

Government records have linked the litigation and broader advocacy to several subsequent federal initiatives addressing anti-Black racism in the public service, including the Action Plan for Black Public Servants, the establishment of a $49.7 million mental health fund career development plan for Black public servants, Employment Equity Act modernization efforts, and reforms related to staffing and workplace discrimination within the federal public service.[2]

History

BCAS traces its origins to 2020 during the global protests and racial justice demonstrations following the murder of George Floyd in the United States. At the time, public attention was heavily focused on police violence and systemic racism affecting Black communities. In an interview with The Real News Network, Canada Revenue Agency employee and union leader Nicholas Marcus Thompson recalled leading a protest in Toronto and reflecting on the unprecedented level of multiracial support for racial justice demonstrations.

Thompson stated:

“I led a protest in Toronto and I looked around and I saw all the different races for once in the history of time supporting black people. And it came to me, ‘Well, what if we really have this support where we can actually get changes to remove that knee from on our necks in every possible way?’ So in that moment, protesting, I was determined that we had to take some type of tangible action to bring about massive change because we would never get the opportunity to do so again. So I started looking in our workplaces.”

According to Thompson, these events led him to reflect on the experiences of Black workers within the federal public service, including issues related to hiring, promotions, workplace treatment, and systemic discrimination. At the time, Thompson was serving as President of the Union of Taxation Employees Toronto North.

On June 18, 2020, Thompson organized a virtual town hall involving Black federal workers across Canada, which later became the launching point for the proposed ‘‘Black Class Action’’ lawsuit against 99 federal departments and agencies in the Government of Canada.

The proposed class action was formally filed in the Federal Court of Canada on December 2, 2020.[7] According to Corporation Canada, the Black Class Action Secretariat, named after the litigation, was officially incorporated on March 14, 2022.

References

  1. ^ Secretariat, Treasury Board of Canada (2022-09-29). "Statement on action taken to further address harassment, discrimination, and other barriers in the federal workplace". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  2. ^ a b Secretariat, Treasury Board of Canada. "Open Government Portal". search.open.canada.ca. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  3. ^ "Black federal workers head to court in discrimination lawsuit against Canadian government". CityNews Toronto. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  4. ^ Secretariat, Treasury Board of Canada (2022-06-29). "President of the Treasury Board appearance before the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates - Supplementary Estimates (C) 2021-22 on March 1, 2022". www.canada.ca. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  5. ^ "PIPSC recognizes the incredible work of the Black Class Action Secretariat – PIPSC | IPFPC". 2024-02-01. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  6. ^ Louter, Lysanne (2022-03-03). "Amnesty International supports the Black Class Action's pursuit of justice for Black employees". Amnesty International Canada. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  7. ^ Arsenault, Adrienne (December 3, 2020). "Black civil servants allege discrimination in proposed class-action lawsuit against Ottawa". CBC. Retrieved May 9, 2026.

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