Fondé en 1983 --Unis pour la diversité et l'égalité raciale

THE CASE OF FIFTEEN CHINESE WORKERS WHO WERE AWARDED $164,000 FOR RACISM ON THE JOB GOES TO COURT


Montreal, October 19, 2009 --- The case of fifteen Chinese workers at a Montreal manufacturing company who were recommended $164,000 in damages by the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission for having been racially discriminated on the job, will head to the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal.

Last month, the Commission ruled that these workers at Calego International Inc., a Montreal-based manufacturer specializing in children’s backpacks and accessories, were indeed subject to racially discriminatory work conditions back in July 2006. In total, Calego International, its president, a supervisor and the latter’s company, Agence Vincent, are ordered to pay $164,000 to the workers. It is the largest sum ever recommended by the Commission for a racism case in Quebec.

The four respondents failed to comply with the Commission’s decision to pay the damages by October 2.

According to CRARR’s Executive Director Fo Niemi, “This will be the first time in recent memory that the working conditions of immigrant workers in our city’s manufacturing sector will be examined before the Quebec Human Rights Tribunal. We welcome the opportunity to conduct a full exposure of these workers’ job conditions, including the treatments based on their race and ethnicity that have seldom been addressed by the courts in our country.”

“We look forward to telling to Chinese people all around the world about what we went through, because Chinese workers too often experience very difficult work conditions without protesting,” said Mr. H. Yong, one of the workers.

A full community mobilization campaign in and outside Canada will be launched to raise funds for the legal battle and to support the 15 workers.