Nicholas Marcus Thompson
Union of Taxation Employees Toronto North
President
In office
April 17, 2018 – April 2024
Personal details
Born (1986-07-16) 16 July 1986
Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Residence(s)Toronto, Ontario, Canada
OccupationTrade Unionist
Websitenicholasmarcusthompson.com

Nicholas Marcus Thompson (born 16 July 1986) is a Trinidadian-Canadian human rights advocate and union leader known for organizing the landmark $2.5 billion Black Class Action lawsuit against the federal Government of Canada for systemic discrimination against Black workers. He is the Executive Director of the Black Class Action Secretariat, a national non-profit organization that works to dismantling systemic discrimination in all sectors of Canadian life.[1] Thompson is also the host of the Union Matters show, where he advocates for the elimination of racial discrimination in Canada's public service and labor unions.[2][3][4]

Early life

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, to an Indo-Trinidadian father and an Afro-Trinidadian mother. He migrated to Scarborough, Toronto, Canada as a teenager, where he attended Lester B. Pearson Collegiate Institute and later the University of Toronto.[5]

Thompson joined Canada's public service as an employee of the Canada Revenue Agency, where he became a member of Union of Taxation Employees, a component of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. Thompson was then elected President of Union of Taxation Employees, Toronto North.[6] He received a scholarship from the Union of Taxation Employees and graduated from the Labour College of Canada.[7]

Thompson was soon after elected as Chairperson of Racially Visible Committee (RVC) and Vice-President of the Greater Toronto Area Council of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.[8] In January 2021, Thompson was elected second Alternate Regional Executive Vice President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Ontario Region. Thompson serves in these four elected positions simultaneously.[9]

Politics

On May 23, 2019, Thompson was officially nominated as a candidate for the New Democratic Party in the district of Don Valley East in the 2019 Canadian federal election.[10] He received 4,647 votes placing third in a six-way race.[11]

Activism

Thompson challenged the Public Service Alliance of Canada, the largest federal sector union on anti-Black racism.[4][12] He led Black Lives Matter protests in Toronto calling out Premier Doug Ford for not accepting that systemic racism exists in Canada. Thompson said he needed to see more than kneeling gestures from such officials as former Toronto police Chief Mark Saunders and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.[13]

He is the host of Union Matters, an online show which focuses on anti-racism and discrimination issues in the labour movement. The show caused national controversy in September 2020 when Thompson called out a high-profile union executive for anti-Black discrimination, resulting in their resignation.[4]

In his native country, Trinidad and Tobago, he petitioned the government in 2014 over a major corruption scandal called LifeSport.[14] His petition called on the then Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and President Anthony Carmona to end their silence and to fire the cabinet minister responsible for the program. Seven days into petitioning, the Minister tendered his resignation. Media outlets attributed the resignation in part to Thompson's petition.[15][16]

International Advocacy

Thompson has been a prominent figure in advocating for the rights of Black Canadians on the international stage, focusing on discrimination issues within Canada’s federal public service.

UN Human Rights Council Complaint

On September 25, 2022, Thompson announced at the Parliament building in Ottawa a significant development alongside figures like New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada Ketty Nivyabandi, PIPSC Vice President Norma Domey, and MP Matthew Green. The Black Class Action Secretariat (BCAS) had lodged a complaint with the United Nations Human Rights Council's Special Rapporteur for racism, addressing systemic racism in hiring and promotions within Canada's federal public service. This action was a major step in elevating the issue to an international platform.[17]

Addresses at the United Nations

Thompson continued his international advocacy with several key addresses at the United Nations:

  • December 4, 2022: Address at the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland, highlighting discrimination in hiring and promotions faced by Canadian federal public sector workers of African descent.[18]
  • May 30, 2023: Speech in New York at the UN, focusing on challenges experienced by Black Canadians in the federal public service, referencing findings about the Canadian Human Rights Commission's discrimination against its Black employees.[18]
  • November 10, 2023: Participation in the United Nations' universal periodic review of Canada in Geneva, Switzerland. Thompson criticized Canada's human rights record, highlighting systemic discrimination against Black workers and calling for accountability and review of the Canadian Human Rights Commission's practices.[19]

Black Class Action

Thompson tried to address anti-Black discrimination at the Canada Revenue Agency, the country's tax authority. He made representation on behalf of Black workers to the Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency, the Minister of National Revenue, the Clerk of the Privy Council and the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, to no avail.

He then mobilized Black workers from across the country, including workers from the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Department of National Defense and Public Prosecutions Canada to file a class action lawsuit.[20]

On December 2, 2020, the landmark case Nicholas Marcus Thompson et al V. Her Majesty was filed, naming the entire federal public service as defendants. Thompson said that Canada’s public service must reflect the people that it serves.[21]

The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed on behalf of Black federal public service employees who faced systemic discrimination related to hiring and promotions since 1970. That was the year that Canada ratified the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

Around 30,000 Black civil servants have allegedly been deprived of opportunities and benefits afforded to others based on their race since the 1970s.

The claim states that the Employment Equity Act sought to prevent discrimination but in reality, there has allegedly been a de facto practice of Black employee exclusion throughout the public service because of the permeation of systemic discrimination through Canada’s institutional structure..[22]

Awards

In January 2020, Thompson was awarded the Activist of the Year by the Public Service Alliance of Canada's Greater Toronto Area Council.[23]

On February 6, 2021, John Tory, the Mayor of Toronto, proclaimed Bob Marley Day for the 30th year. Thompson was named a recipient of the Bob Marley Day award for his contribution to the advancement and development of his community.[24]

In June 2023, the Toronto & York Regional Labour Council awarded Thompson with the Bromley Lloyd Armstrong award in recognition of his tireless work in the areas of equity, inclusion, and human rights. Armstrong was a Canadian civil rights leader that helped pave the way for Canada's first Human Rights laws.[25]

Electoral record

2019 Canadian federal election: Don Valley East
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalYasmin Ratansi25,29559.81+1.98$74,656.45
ConservativeMichael Ma10,11523.92-5.31$66,318.23
New DemocraticNicholas Thompson4,64710.99+0.63none listed
GreenDan Turcotte1,6753.96+1.37$3,743.20
People'sJohn P. Hendry5621.33-none listed
Total valid votes/expense limit 42,29499.98
Total rejected ballots 4381.02+0.41
Turnout 42,73264.23-1.31
Eligible voters 66,530
Liberal hold Swing +3.65
Source: Elections Canada[26][27]

References

  1. ↑ Joseph, Emmanuel (2022-09-07). "Demand for change". Barbados Today. Retrieved 2022-09-23.
  2. ↑ "Black civil servants allege discrimination in proposed class-action lawsuit against Ottawa | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  3. ↑ "Statement of Claim". Black Class Action. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  4. 1 2 3 "Clash over article by Black manager leads to high-profile resignations at PSAC | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  5. ↑ "August 26th, 2020". TRINIDAD & TOBAGO ASSOCIATION OF OTTAWA. Retrieved 2021-02-16.
  6. ↑ "President | Union of Taxation Employees Toronto North | Ontario". UTE Local 00048. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  7. ↑ "Nicholas Marcus Thompson graduates from the Labour College of Canada". www.ute-local48.org. Retrieved 2023-07-22.
  8. ↑ "Greater Toronto Area Council | Public Service Alliance of Canada". ontario.psac.com. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  9. ↑ "Council Members | Public Service Alliance of Canada". ontario.psac.com. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  10. ↑ Canada, Elections. "Voter Information Service - List of candidates". www.elections.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  11. ↑ "Canada election results: Don Valley East | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  12. ↑ "Black PSAC union leader & activists call for PSAC National to re-invite Nora Loreto to anti-racism workshop". Rank and File. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  13. ↑ "Protesters take to the streets for peaceful anti-Black racism marches". thestar.com. 2020-06-06. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  14. ↑ "Online petition growing daily for Anils firing immediately". Trinidad Express Newspapers. 28 July 2014. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  15. ↑ "Anti-Anil petition reaches 2,500". Trinidad and Tobago Newsday Archives. 2014-07-31. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  16. ↑ Ragoonath, Resh-ma. "After mounting calls Anil quits". www.guardian.co.tt. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  17. ↑ David Thurton (October 2, 2022). "Black civil servants file discrimination complaint against federal government with United Nations". CBC News. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Global Reparatory Justice" (PDF). Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. May 30, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  19. ↑ Catherine Morrison (November 9, 2023). "Advocates in Geneva to denounce discrimination against Canada's Black public servants". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Plaintiffs". Black Class Action. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
  21. ↑ A civil service reflective of the Canadians it serves, retrieved 2021-02-17
  22. ↑ "Class Action Lawsuit Alleges Systemic Discrimination Against Black Federal Workers". Top Class Actions Canada. 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  23. ↑ "'Canadian-style systemic racism': Black public servants file suit against federal government". The Hill Times. 2020-12-03. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  24. ↑ Ebatamehi, Sebastiane (2021-02-06). "Mayor John Tory Declares February 6th Bob Marley Day in The City of Toronto". GLAMSQUAD MAGAZINE. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
  25. ↑ "Congratulations to the Winners of the 2023 Bromley Armstrong Awards". Toronto & York Region Labour Council. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  26. ↑ "List of confirmed candidates". Elections Canada. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
  27. ↑ "Official Voting Results -". Elections Canada. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
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