UFCW 401 Celebrates the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation

The National Day for Truth & Reconciliation is much more than just another statutory holiday. It is an opportunity for Canadians to reflect on our history and the foundations of our country, and on the historical oppression of Indigenous people specifically as it manifested in the atrocities of the residential school system. And it’s in that spirit of reflection that UFCW Local 401 observes the fourth year of this important day.

“For the goal of this day to have meaning,” said President Thomas Hesse of 401: “It has to be about the social justice work of moving reconciliation forward, and as a union committed to social justice, this is a core commitment for us.” 

“A good example of that is our commitments in collective bargaining,” added President Hesse. “There are still far too many employers who ‘recognize’ the day but do not make it a paid holiday for their employees. As we prepare for major bargaining in the months and years to come, we will be calling on employers across the province to address that discrepancy.”

“Every day, we’re inspired by and proud of our members who continue to stand front and center in this important work,” said Secretary-Treasurer Richelle Stewarts. “In bargaining, as activists and as overall members of our community, it’s up to all of us to answer the call and to live out the true spirit of truth and reconciliation.”

Small gestures can go a long way, and you can wear an orange shirt or pin to mark the day. (Make sure you’re getting these from an Indigenous company or artist or from a source that donates the proceeds of such sales to indigenous communities, such aa Superstore for example.) You can donate to indigenous causes and be extra-mindful about the importance of the day to indigenous communities across Canada who have faced a very challenging year.

Below, we’ll look at a few other ways that you can go further, and get involved in meaningful action in your community.

A MESSAGE ON THE DAY FROM A MEMBER

Union Labour Relations Officer Charmaine St. Germain

Charmaine St. Germain is a Labour Relations Officer at UFCW 401, a former candidate for political office and is a leading member of our Executive Board as its Recording Secretary. She is also Métis. Here’s what she has to say about what the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation means to her:

“The Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to reflect, learn and listen.”

“Reflect on the all the wrongs that were inflicted on Indigenous people in the past.  To acknowledge the decades of abuse, the genocide of Indigenous women and children, the stripping away of their Indigenous culture and so much more.”

“Learn from what has happened and, in most cases, what continues to happen today.”

“Most importantly to Listen. Listen to the stories from Elders and story keepers. Listen how you can be an ally and build relationships, how you can be there for the Indigenous community while they are trying to heal. ” 

“It’s important for the membership of 401 to recognize and learn about Indigenous history and how residential schools and intergenerational trauma affects their coworkers and members in other 401 workplaces.”   

“There is a commitment from this local and it’ officers to engage in meaningful Truth and Reconciliation and learn from their Indigenous members and the community they represent working on fostering relationships with the Indigenous Community.”

“It makes me proud to have been a long time member of 401 and now working for an employer who is willing to listen and who cares about their Indigenous members and their community.” 

“I encourage all our members to get out on Monday, September 30 to reflect, learn and listen. You can go to a Pow Wow or a Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt day event in your community.  Everyone is welcome to these events, go, observe, listen and learn. Miigwech.”

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Nate Leblanc-Fortin and Ronald Klassen a.k.a. Waboos, UFCW 401 members and members of the UFCW Canada Indigenous Subcommittee.

UFCW Canada’s Indigenous Subcommittee works tirelessly to broaden the recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Ron Klassen and Nathan Leblanc-Fortin from our own 401 family work on the Subcommittee, and were part of a recent campaign for recognition of the day by Ontario municipalities.

As Nate, who is also a member of our Executive Board, said about this campaign: “To me, recognizing TRC as a holiday is the responsibility of everyone. As a Union, we held politicians accountable, and got them on our side. Let’s keep building this movement!”

“The goal was to get a united call to action from Ontario’s municipalities to put pressure on the provincial government,” added Ron Klassen, also known as Waboos. “Everybody came to the work in good spirits and with good hearts.”

The Subcommittee is working more broadly to get provincial governments across Canada to make this a paid day of recognition and remembrance: you can click here and send a message to your provincial elected officials, and make your voice a part of this effort!

Getting informed is also a big part of contributing to our country’s conversation about reconciliation in a positive way. There are lots of opportunities online to learn more about the meaning and background of this day:

• The University of British Columbia offers a wide range of free learning resources.
• The University of Alberta offers a great free course on Indigenous Canada that provides insight into the histories and contemporary experiences and views of Indigenous Canadians.
• UFCW 401’s WebCampus offers an introductory course on Indigenous Rights and Activism. As Charmaine says about this course: “I encourage everyone to sign up and take the Indigenous Rights and activism course that 401 offers. So much meaningful conversation has come from those courses!”

You can also click here to watch an informative video for some important background about the Orange Shirt Day initiative:

Finally, there are political actions happening across the country that can have great impact on the future of reconciliation in Canada. Recently, for example, an NDP Member of Parliament put forward a bill to criminalize residential school denialism, an especially painful form of hate speech that is all too frequently aimed at residential school survivors.

Meanwhile, Chief Turtle of the Grassy Nook people in Ontario is battling pollution that is seriously affecting the community. 

These and many other indigenous causes can benefit from your awareness and your willingness to amplify them not just on September 30th, but all year around. As a union dedicated to social justice, we can all play an active role in moving the cause of truth and reconciliation forward.

In solidarity,

Your Union
UFCW Local 401 

Posted on: September 29,2024