Community backlash against teacher union’s survey

BY PAUL JUNOR

In an attempt to deal with systemic racism – especially anti-black and anti-Indigenous racism – Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (OSSTF) launched a survey to its members in an attempt to eliminate systemic racism in the education system on November 10th, 2020. The survey provoked criticism that it was biased and hurtful to a racialized segment of its members.

Mary Fraser-Hamilton started a petition at change.org in order to bring attention to this survey and shed light on issues that arose from it. She revealed that, “The survey asked respondents to give their opinion on topics including whether or not they agree that having police in schools can have a “devastating effect” on black students, and their opinions on streaming, two practices that already have a large body of research demonstrating their negative impacts on black and Indigenous communities.”

Mary indicated in the petition titled, “Disrupting ABR to Ontario Teacher’s Secondary School Federation” that by Thursday, November 12th, 2020, three of the recently appointed executives of OSSTF: Judy Mckeown, Gord Gallimore and Nicole Luinenburg spoke to Harvey Bischof, provincial president of OSSTF. They told him that members from the black community have expressed concerns that as long as the survey was available it would be a source of further pain as it reinforces racist responses and it should be removed immediately.

Mary identified seven concerns, which she expressed in the petition:

1. The provincial union relied more on member opinion that evidence to inform decision-making around addressing anti-black and anti-Indigenous racism.
2. Relying on a largely white membership who do not have lived experience and likely not the educated knowledge, to inform the union policies and practices with regard to addressing racism within the union.
3. The lack of representation by black and Indigenous members on the provincial OSSTF executive team that are involved in this initiative, and the lack of representation in general.
4. A lack of data to understand the experiences of black, Indigenous and racialized members within their workplaces and the union.
5. The existence of working groups meant to address racism that routinely do not include representation from these groups, and which have no matrices to determine whether the work is improving the lives of black, Indigenous and racialized members.
6. The lack of any time-released positions at a provincial level meant to address anti-black racism, anti-Indigenous racism, racism and oppression within its structures or membership.
7. A consistent messaging within OSSTF that the existing procedures and policies continue to be followed, regardless of their impact on black, Indigenous, and racialized members and the community.

There have been many calls made over the years for the OSSTF to examine systematic racism in a methodological, statistical and bias-free manner. The petition brings these underlying issues to the forefront by asking the signers of the petition to request, “The immediate removal of the member survey as it continued to support the same racist structures that it claimed to be trying to dismantle.” The petition asks the provincial OSSTF to participate in an interactive dialogue on a widespread level with its BIPOC members in respect to obtaining real-life experiences on the effect of racism.

The petition is a call to action as it is an attempt to challenge the status quo. It states, “It must immediately disrupt the current structures and processes which continue to harm black, Indigenous and racialized members and community.”