Why we celebrate Black History Month

Why we celebrate Black History Month: A message from CLC Executive Vice-President Marie Clarke Walker

This is the 20th year that Black History Month has been officially celebrated in Canada. Across the country, events are planned to mark and remember the contributions and achievements of Black Canadians.

Canadian unions are celebrating that history too. Black trade union members and activists have played a key role in building and shaping the labour movement. When we stand up for fairness today, we are standing against racism and discrimination, and the unfair treatment and denial of equality that stems from it.

We’ve worked hard to win stronger collective agreement language that empowers workers to confront and end racism and promote workplace diversity and equality. The changes we win in the workplace help to foster broader positive change in society and our communities too.

Outside of the workplace, unions are collaborating with community organizations to achieve the same goals. In 2015, the CLC and Ontario unions worked with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), the African Canadian Legal Clinic (ACLC), and Toronto’s Black community to protest racial profiling and “carding” by police – a practice where police arbitrarily stop, question and document people – disproportionally people of colour – entering their information into a database.

That information has been shown to appear in background checks years later, seriously impacting job prospects.

In the lead up to the 2015 federal election, Canadian unions across the country helped organize the Black Votes Matter campaign, with events and door-to-door canvassing to encourage more Black Canadians to vote and it worked.

We spoke out against the over-reaching anti-terrorism law C-51 and the Conservatives’ proposal for a “barbaric cultural practices” snitch line that, as the Canadian Human Rights Commissioner observed eroded human rights and promoted discrimination and prejudice.

This year I’m looking forward to the CLC’s Rise Up conference, which will bring together more than 1,000 trade union members to talk about how to better promote and protect human rights in Canada’s workplaces, and how to improve the work that unions do to promote those values among members.

Black trade union members, through our activism and leadership, have and continue to be key players in the work that unions do to promote diversity, equality and fairness at work, in the community and across the country.

And I say that’s worth celebrating.

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CBTU Membership letter

March 1st, 2026

Greetings, CBTU Family:

As Black History Month comes to a close, the work of celebrating, uplifting, and advancing Black history does not end for the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU). Black history is not confined to a single month; it lives in our communities, our workplaces, our struggles, and our victories every day of every year.

Over the past months, we have witnessed many inspiring moments across our movement. Black leaders have stepped forward to serve in new roles, some have retired after years of dedicated leadership, and others have begun new journeys that continue to shape our communities and labour movement. Each transition reflects the strength, resilience, and ongoing legacy of Black leadership within CBTU and beyond.

At the same time, our community has also experienced profound loss. We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of CBTU Region One President Sharon Lovelady-Hall. Her leadership, commitment, and impact will be remembered and honoured throughout our organization.

We also send our heartfelt sympathies to all members of our CBTU family who have lost loved ones in recent weeks. Please know that you are not alone; our community stands with you.

The CBTU family remains rooted in solidarity and care. In moments of celebration and in times of grief, we continue to support one another. Together, we will keep building, organizing, and advancing the lives of Black people in our workplaces, our communities, and across the globe.

As we move forward, let us remain committed to the mission that unites us: empowerment, justice, and progress for Black workers everywhere.

CBTU Chapter Newsletter - Special 30th Anniversary Edition

CBTU 30 Years Logo

Greetings, CBTU Family:

November 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of our organization becoming a Chapter of the CBTU, and the beginning of our year of celebration! Please take a moment to read our Special 30th Anniversary Edition Chapter Newsletter, where we have highlighted to accomplishments of several of our dear chapter members.

On behalf of the Chapter's Executive Board, we wish you all safe, happy, and healthy season's greetings and look forward to seeing and celebrating with you at our General Membership Meeting December 16 at 6pm.

CBTU GMM on December 16, 2025... We Are 30!

Dear CBTU chapter members,

We are 30! This year marks 30 years of being a chapter of the International CBTU. To celebrate our history and the contributions of our members towards the Canadian Labour Movement, past and present, we invite you all to a special CBTU General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, December 16 in the evening. Location TBD and will be included in our newsletter coming out within a week. Yes, of course there will be food, it wouldn't be a proper celebration without it☺️
We look forward to seeing you there!