Bienné Blémur says he doesn’t feel vindicated.
Instead, he feels at peace now that he’s reached a settlement with his former employer.
Blémur has been in a legal battle for six years with the Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau (SPJD), a paramunicipal agency, and his former union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
It stems from incidents he experienced as a head stage rigger at Jean Drapeau Park in 2016, when he was the target of racial slurs — including being called the N-word.
Blémur says that after two years of mistreatment, he quit in 2018 after filing multiple grievances.
But he continued to pursue both his former employer and the union in the courts.
“The employer has agreed to settle because the employer has seen the light,” said Fo Niemi, executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), whose organization has been helping Blémur.
“More importantly, the employer has recognized systemic racism and that Mr. Blémur has been the victim of systemic racism and all that it entails in terms of consequences.”
Niemi says in the settlement agreement, the park’s management recognized that Blémur was “the victim of vexatious discriminatory conduct leading to negative psychological repercussions” and it also recognized the existence of systemic racism.
He says the settlement sets a historic precedent that every employer should take into account.
“Blémur has basically started a chain of events that we hope will become a template — for not only the City of Montreal, with so many complaints of racism from its racialized workers, but for all the other workers here,” said Niemi.
In a statement to Global News, a spokesperson for the park said it is pleased that it has reached an out-of-court agreement with Mr. Blémur.
“In the fall of 2022, the new management at the Société du Parc Jean-Drapeau began a dialogue with Mr. Blémur and his legal team with a with a goal of bringing both parties together and exploring possible solutions outside the courtroom.”
“Organizations must ensure that any behaviour that could lead to harassment or discrimination in the workplace is prevented and stopped. We believe this agreement will inspire employers to adopt innovative practices that promote dialogue in case management.”
Though this is a victory for Blémur, his legal fight still isn’t over.
In 2021, Quebec’s labour tribunal concluded that his former union demonstrated grave negligence in his case.
The union has since filed for a review of the decision in Superior Court.
The case will be heard in 2024.
Global News reached out to the IATSE for comment, but has yet to hear back.
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