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“Our members, just like the rest of Canadians, have various levels of understanding of privilege and racism. It’s our hope that our backgrounders can help deepen our members’ understanding of the topic and help them to be better allies.” — Larry Brown, NUPGE President
Ottawa (25 Oct. 2021) — Today the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is releasing a new backgrounder on white privilege. The backgrounder, arising from the work of NUPGE’s Special Anti-racism Committee, is part of the Diversity and Inclusion in Our Unions series, which confronts the realities of life in Canada for equity-seeking groups.
Backgrounder serves as an introduction to white privilege
The 2-page backgrounder gives a concise definition of what privilege is and breaks down the nuanced ways people can experience advantages and disadvantages simultaneously due to different types of privilege. It provides a range of obvious and subtle examples of how white privilege benefits white people.
At the end of the backgrounder, there is a resource section in which articles and videos can be accessed to help NUPGE members deepen their understanding of white privilege. These resources range from Jane Elliot’s famous Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes exercise to more recent resources from Kimberlé Crenshaw, Brando Simeo Starkey, Lori Lakin Hutcherson, and more.
Anti-racism is a union issue
Discussing privilege shouldn’t be controversial. It’s impossible to make real change without identifying and understanding the power systems in our society. Racism exists in Canada in many forms. White privilege is prevalent in Canadian society. NUPGE members are part of Canadian society. NUPGE membership is diverse, just as Canada’s population is diverse. Therefore, to serve our members and improve Canadian society as a whole, NUPGE must be part of the conversation on white privilege.
“Understanding white privilege is a key part of understanding racism,” said Larry Brown, NUPGE President. “Our members, just like the rest of Canadians, have various levels of understanding of privilege and racism. It’s our hope that our backgrounders can help deepen our members’ understanding of the topic and help them to be better allies.”
“We also hope the series sends a message of solidarity to our BIPOC members,” said Bert Blundon, NUPGE Secretary-Treasurer. “We see you, we hear you, and we’re committed to improving our unions to make them a safe and welcoming space for all BIPOC.”