Workers in Canada are pushing back against attacks on DEI policies

This International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Canada’s unions reaffirm their commitment to fighting inequity and defending crucial social and human rights advancements.

The recent wave of targeted actions to stop Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies, programs and initiatives in the United States has profound implications not just for workers south of the border, but for those here in Canada as well.

DEI initiatives are based on the principle that all workers, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other identities, should have equal opportunities and protections in the workplace. These principles align with the core values the Canadian labour movement has long fought to uphold, and we must continue to defend them now in these polarizing times.

By actively dismantling these initiatives, those wielding the axe are sending a clear message: that the rights of equity-deserving communities are expendable, that the pursuit of equality and fairness is optional and that the systemic inequities that DEI programs aim to address are not only acceptable but desirable.

This is not just a debate over workplace policies—what we are witnessing is not a genuine effort to improve workplaces—but a ploy by reactionary right-wing forces and politicians seeking to roll back the clock on hard-won rights and create a divisive, exclusionary society. Attacks on DEI initiatives are part of a concerted and organized effort to undermine progress on human rights, sow division among workers and maintain power structures that benefit the few at the expense of the many.

“These are deliberate attacks on the fundamental human rights that underpin a just society. They aim to create a narrative, and indeed a society, where equity and social progress are seen as threats, and exclusion and discrimination are accepted, normalized and further entrenched. We won’t stand for it,” said CLC Executive Vice-President, Larry Rousseau.

In Canada, where we continue to see a rise in hate due to years of deliberate fear-mongering by politicians and far-right actors, the widespread anti-DEI actions in the U.S. will only embolden those who seek to undermine and reverse our nation’s progress on social issues and human rights. In a climate where the affordability crisis is seeing neighbours being pitted against one another and entire communities being scapegoated for the actions of big business, big developers and greedy politicians, it is crucial that we remain unwavering and unapologetic in our defense of equity and inclusion. Not only as fundamental safeguards for human rights, but also in defense of workers and the strength of organized labour, which, together, can resist these forces.

The fight for DEI is a fight for unity among workers. It is about recognizing that an injury to one is an injury to all and that when we elevate the rights and opportunities of the most marginalized among us, we strengthen those of all workers. When we stand together—united in our demands for equity, dignity, and justice—we are a formidable force able to use the collective strength needed to challenge the longstanding systems of power that perpetuate widespread inequities.

Now more than ever, we must stand united in defense of the rights and needs of all workers, firmly rejecting any efforts to divide us. Check out our Workers Together campaign and join the fight today.