August 1 marks Emancipation Day, and is an important reminder of the critical role the labour movement must continue to play in advancing the fight against slavery that started more than 200 years ago.
The formal end of slavery in the British Empire occurred on August 1, 1834. As a union, we recognize that full emancipation encompasses not only freedom from slavery but also economic liberation.
This year, OPSEU/SEFPO is commemorating this occasion by raising the Emancipation Day flag at the union’s head office in Toronto. This marks the first time in OPSEU/SEFPO’s history that the Emancipation Day flag has been raised. Our hope is that this flag displayed proudly at our head office will signal to Black, Indigenous, and racialized members that this is their union and that they belong here. We also hope that it will remind all members of the important work that has been done to dismantle anti-Black racism and the vital work that remains—both in our union and society-at-large.
At a time when Black and Indigenous workers are overrepresented in low paying positions with few opportunities for promotion, we recognize that the labour movement has a responsibility to commit to the work of emancipation.
OPSEU/SEFPO’s Dismantling Systemic Racism Program (DSRP) has marked an important step in dismantling white supremacy and anti-Black racism, moving our union spaces closer to the goal of economic liberation. To date, more than 4,500 of OPSEU/SEFPO’s 8,400 elected leaders (53%) have completed the one‑day DSR training. Additionally, over 200 staff have completed the train‑the‑trainer program, expanding the union’s internal capacity to deliver this work.
We affirm that when union leadership here and elsewhere does not consistently reflect the diversity of the membership, we move further away—not closer—to the goal of emancipation.
We acknowledge that, in 2023, when the UN described Canada’s temporary foreign worker program as “a breeding ground for modern forms of slavery,” it was a clear indication that the work of emancipation is ongoing.
We assert—as the Worth Fighting For campaign has highlighted—that when the burden of low wages in the Developmental Services sector is shouldered primarily by women, racialized, and low-income workers, the work of emancipation cannot stop here.
And, as wildfires destroy entire Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario revealing massive shortcomings in our fire prevention and warning systems, we must continue to push for full emancipation for all.
Today, we commemorate Emancipation Day, recognizing that August 1 is not only a celebration of the formal end of more than 400 years of colonial violence but an affirmation, an acknowledgement, an assertion, and most importantly, a call-to-action.
