Ontario labour federation backs call for slavery apology

TORONTO – The Ontario Federation of Labour said Nov. 4 it is endorsing a campaign by the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Canada that calls on the federal government to issue a formal apology for Canada’s role in the trafficking and enslavement of Africans.

The federation, which says it represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario, described itself in a news release as the largest provincial labour federation in the country. It called on other labour organizations, community groups and allies to support the campaign.

“Canada cannot move forward without honestly confronting its past,” OFL president Laura Walton said in the release. “A formal apology is an important step toward acknowledging this history and accepting responsibility for its lasting impacts.”

Yolanda McClean, who is president of CBTU Canada, president of CUPE Ontario and a vice-president on the federation’s executive board, said an apology “must be more than words.” She said it should be part of a commitment to confronting anti-Black racism and advancing justice.

OFL secretary-treasurer Ahmad Gaied said the legacy of slavery is not confined to the past for Black workers. “Systemic racism, workplace discrimination and economic inequality continue to shape experiences,” he said.

The release said the endorsement comes during the United Nations’ Second International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from 2025 to 2034.

The campaign gained momentum after a United Nations vote in the spring. On March 25, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, introduced by Ghana, that declares the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans the gravest crime against humanity. UN News reported that the resolution passed with 123 votes in favour. Argentina, Israel and the United States voted against, and 52 countries abstained.

Human Rights Watch listed Canada among the abstaining states, along with the United Kingdom and all European Union members. UN News reported that the United States said it does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law when they occurred.

Neither the UN News account nor the Human Rights Watch account included an explanation of Canada’s abstention from the federal government. Canada News Media found no public federal statement explaining the vote.

McClean has linked the abstention to the apology demand. The Caribbean Camera reported on July 31 that she called the decision to abstain “a painful reminder of how we haven’t fully confronted this history.” She added that “a real apology is a necessary step toward healing and justice for Black Canadians,” according to the newspaper.

The same report said Canadian Labour Congress president Bea Bruske signed a July 17 letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney that described Canada’s role as “a matter of historical and moral importance” and asked for a federal apology to Black Canadians. The newspaper said CBTU Canada launched a national campaign around Emancipation Day, Aug. 1, and offered supporters a template for emailing their MPs.

The call for an apology has also reached the House of Commons through petitions. In April 2024, NDP MP Brian Masse tabled a petition from Amherstburg Freedom Museum curator Elise Harding-Davis asking the government to apologize to Black Canadians for its role in chattel enslavement, Sarnia News Today reported. A petition seeking a federal apology for the transatlantic slave trade was the opening petition of the 45th Parliament, sponsored by NDP MP Gord Johns, the Western Standard reported in May 2025, citing Blacklock’s Reporter.

None of the reports reviewed by Canada News Media contained a federal response to the apology request. The Prime Minister’s Office and Canadian Heritage were not quoted in any of them.

Canada News Media has previously reported on Ottawa’s $135.7 million commitment to Black Canadian groups, on Halifax’s apology for razing Africville and on the Buxton Settlement.

The federation’s release said the fight for workers’ rights is inseparable from the fight for racial justice. OFL executive vice-president Michael Hamilton said the labour movement has a responsibility to stand with Black workers and communities and to challenge systemic barriers.

If you find reporting like this useful, consider supporting Canada News Media, an independent Canadian newsroom with no corporate parent.