News release

September 21, 2005

Union conference set to tackle racism

HALIFAX, N.S. – Racially visible, Aboriginal, Inuit and Métis members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada will discuss current challenges in the fight against racism at the union’s National Unity Conference.

With the theme “Building the Future: Taking Our Place in the Union and the World,” the conference also seeks to strengthen solidarity and to empower, politicize and mobilize members to take action to ensure their union, workplaces and communities are free of racism. 

Speakers at the conference are:

• Nycole Turmel, PSAC National President;
  
• Priscilla Settee, Director of Indigenous Peoples Program at the University of Saskatchewan;
  
• June Veecock, Ontario Federation of Labour Director of Human Rights;
  
• Fo Niemi, Executive Director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations;
  
• Beverly Jacobs, Native Women’s Association of Canada President; and
  
• David Onyalo, Canadian Labour Congress Director of Anti-racism and Human Rights.

The media will have access to plenary discussions at the conference.  Details of the 2005 National Unity Conference are as follows:

Date:                September 23 to September 25, 2005

Location:          Westin Nova Scotian Hotel
                        1181 Hollis Street
                        Halifax, Nova Scotia

The PSAC, with its 150,000 members, is one of the largest unions in Canada. Although the majority of its members work in the federal public service, the PSAC also represents workers in several sectors of activity in three territorial governments, government agencies, crown corporations, para-public institutions and private sector organizations.

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For information:  Joselito Calugay, communications (613) 560-4235,
and, from Sept. 23 to 25, (613) 293-9324 (cell)

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