Well at the risk of sounding racist, here I go.

I am currently employed in a temporary supposed to be leading to permanent position at a wonderful vet office on the reserve. I am white. My boss just informed me that they would like to have an aboriginal at the front desk. As soon as they find an eligible candidate, this leaves me with out a job. Now aboriginals are the minority. So when they look for jobs off reserve, they are the first ones picked (even if they are not as qualified as say a white person). Now on reserve, they have the first pick over a job as well. If they were to look at jobs off reserve, and were told that they wanted to hire a white person first, this would be racist and wrong. But I am basically being told that I can not hold my position here because I am white. How is this fair?

I feel like being a white woman with an education, and loads of experience in a professional setting such as office admin or reception positions, I am at the bottom of the totem pole, excuse the pun :rolleyes:
How and why is this fair? This job has been advertized for MONTHS now, and I was hired because I was the most qualified person, now I have to step down to a person with less qualifications than me only because of her skin colour? Haven't we moved past this? I am so confused and hurt. Anyone have any answers for me?

It's called Positive Discrimination and very sad it is as well.

Whatever happened to employing the best available person for a job without using that as some box checking exercise.

I would be interested to see this actually justified. I want to see fairness and equality for minorities as much as any other conscious-minded person... but I hardly think picking someone with fewer qualifications and experience based on the color of their skin is fair and equal. It's racist.

I'm sorry you are going through this Bella :(. It is extremely frustrating and I'm just going to call it unfair as well. Hugs!

Don't get me started on Miss Black America, or Black History Month!

Do you know what would happen if we proposed a Miss WHITE America? Or a Polish History Month?

I don't have any answers for you other than they have to meet a quota so that they don't get cited for discrimination.

I feel used and hurt. I feel that I was good enough to hold this position while no one else wanted it, but now I am suddenly not good enough. I too want to see equal rights all around, but to be equal shouldn't we be taking skin colour out of the picture all together?

How can I continue to stay here and wait to be replaced? Is that just my ego getting in the way of my priorities? (bill paying etc... ) I really don't want to lose this job, it's my dream job. Ugg.

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

now I have to step down to a person with less qualifications than me only because of her skin colour? Haven't we moved past this? I am so confused and hurt. Anyone have any answers for me?

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Hello Bella:

The only way to find out is to have the issue adjudicated... For that to happen, somebody has to sue. Why not you? Hopefully, the added advantage you'd have, is that I doubt they'd fire you while the case moves through the courts...

Why don't you visit a local civil rights or employment solicitor?

excon

Sue? Hmm that never even crossed my mind, but I don't think I have the qualifications I.E the MONEY or the smarts to sue How would I find a civil rights or employment solicitor in my area?

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Sue? Hmm that never even crossed my mind

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That's because us canucks don't have that mentality :). One of my staff members at my work is an aboriginal and has projects that are way above her severe lack of technical knowledge, I usually end up organizing everything. She is basically untouchable due to her 'status'.

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

but I don't think I have the qualifications I.E the MONEY or the smarts to sue How would I find a civil rights or employment solicitor in my area?

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Hello again, Bella:

You had the smarts to explain your situation to us. I don't know why you couldn't do that in front of a lawyer. Google lawyers or look in the yellow pages. They won't charge you for the initial interview.

excon

NK, what would you do?

Exy, I have just emailed a civil rights lawyer my questions. I don't think I want to sue anyone, I just want my job.

Ex,
It's a little different in canada, especially in smaller communities. We aren't sue-happy here. Sometimes bringing up a lawsuit like this gets you labeled a certain way and everybody ends up knowing about it.

This is true NK, it's rare for a someone to sue anyone. I know this sounds funny, but my aunt slipped and broke her hip on a wet floor at a super market, it wasn't marked that the floors were wet, well the office manager offered her free groceries for a year, and my aunt was over joyed with this. She never shops anywhere else.

You know I really don't want to sue, I just want my job. Isn't this reverse discrimination? I just want answers as to how and why this is right.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

It's a little different in canada, especially in smaller communities. We aren't sue-happy here. Sometimes bringing up a lawsuit like this gets you labeled a certain way and everybody ends up knowing about it.

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Hello NK:

First off, I thought she was in Australia...

In any case, I never filed a lawsuit because I thought I would be liked or not. I filed it because my RIGHTS were being violated.. If somebody doesn't like it, screw 'em.

excon

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

NK, what would you do?

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In my case my job isn't on the line. In your case if you do lose your job you may have a wrongful dismissal action available to you. Two things get in the way of that: your temp contract stipulations and any other laws surrounding working on a reserve that I likely don't know about.

Exy, did you miss this? ▌♥ ▌Proud to be Canadian ▌♥ ▌ :)

At any rate, I appreciate your advice and have made contact with a CR here in my area. I basically said what I posted above.

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Originally Posted by NeedKarma

In my case my job isn't on the line. In your case if you do lose your job you may have a wrongful dismissal action available to you. Two things get in the way of that: your temp contract stipulations and any other laws surrounding working on a reserve that I likely don't know about.

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I think that's my biggest brick wall.

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Originally Posted by excon

. I filed it because my RIGHTS were being violated.. If somebody doesn't like it, screw 'em.

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The emplyer sadly may be within their rights to terminate her if her temp contract allows it. It's easy to say "screw 'em" when you live in a large city, not so when you get labeled a "troublemaker" in a small town. If the case is solid based on the law and her contract then by all means go for it. Otherwise it's at her discretion.

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

Exy, did you miss this? ▌♥ ▌Proud to be Canadian ▌♥ ▌

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Hello again, Bella:

Yup. What can I say?

excon

What if we took the temp contract and the fact I am already employed out of the picture and I based my complaint solely on the fact I am not being hired because I am white? Surly reserve or not, this can't be right? After all we hire aboriginals off reserve. What's good for the goose...

I can't imagine anyone here knowing the law surrounding that. It's definetely for a labour lawyer familiar with aboriginal affairs.