Dehumanization Awareness Project. Letter to PIPSC Legal Requesting to updated PIPSC Equity Statement to include additional grounds of discrimination.
To be updated
The following pages have been added to ‘Your Voice at PIPSC’ portal:
https://en.gorodnichy.ca/evidence/dehumanization-awareness-project
https://en.gorodnichy.ca/no-more-mandates/no-more-hate-campaigns
The summary of these pages is provided below.
If you have examples of hateful rhetoric towards Canadians who did not support the Vaccination and Mask Mandates, please send them to kmswinkels@protonmail.com
Letter to PIPSC Legal Requesting to updated PIPSC Equity Statement to include additional grounds of discrimination
From: Dmitry O. Gorodnichy <dmitry.gorodnichy@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jan 6, 2025
Subject: Follow up questions - Re: Request to updated PIPSC Equity Statement -
To: Tania Lafreniere, Marie-Hélène Tougas
Bonjour Tania and Marie-Hélène,
Happy New Year to you and your families!
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to follow up on our important communication from last year, which unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to conclude. For convenience, I am re-pasting my questions from that earlier exchange here:
What is the general logistical procedure for proposing changes to the Union's Equity Statement?
Is there a specific task force or team assigned to this matter? If so, who leads it, so I can ensure I’m engaging with the appropriate people and following the correct process?
As you may be aware, to bring attention to this issue, I authored a resolution for the 2024 AGM (P-22), which has been now referred to the Board of Directors. However, I noted that the Legal comment associated with this resolution recommended it be ruled out of order, stating:
"PIPSC equity statement in adherence with legal requirement. As a non-profit organization incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, PIPSC is required to comply with existing legislation regarding discrimination. The Institute does not have the discretionary power to alter the legal definition of discrimination or add grounds of discrimination that are not recognized by law. Any attempt to do so would contravene the organization's legal obligations and would therefore be invalid. PIPSC must adhere to the grounds of discrimination defined by applicable legislation and cannot unilaterally adopt new ones through an internal resolution."
While I understand this perspective, it does not resolve the core issue, nor does it address the concerns raised. This is why I’m reaching out directly to ensure the matter is properly addressed, and that a clear path forward is identified.
Since our conversation in the summer, I have received numerous additional stories and testimonials from members who reported experiencing harassing or discriminatory messages and behaviours from union representatives. This includes accounts from members who were deeply traumatized by discriminatory or harassing rhetoric directed at those who did not comply with the Vaccination Mandate. For example, some members described language that equated their fight for fundamental constitutional rights to "alcoholics refusing treatment." Such rhetoric intensified their distress, leading some to experience severe emotional trauma, including suicidal thoughts.
This issue—discrimination and harassment targeting individuals who exercise different religious or health practices than those of union staff and executives—is extremely serious. It cannot be brushed aside or deprioritized.
I am therefore bringing this matter back to your attention to ensure it is properly addressed and prioritized in this new year.
Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Please note that I am communicating with you in my capacity as a regular member and 2024 VP (PT) candidate, not as an NCR executive.
Please also note that this message, and your response to it, will be shared with the members whose concerns I am vocalizing here.
Best regards,
Dmitry Gorodnichy
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Dmitry O. Gorodnichy
Date: Sun, Jan 19, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Subject: Re: Follow up questions - Re: Request to update PIPSC Equity Statement
To: Tania Lafreniere, Marie-Hélène Tougas
Cc: President Présidente <president@pipsc.ca>
Dear Tania and Marie-Hélène,
For the benefit of transparency and to facilitate the discussion,
I have set up a page on my portal to track the actions related to this important issue: https://en.gorodnichy.ca/action-tracker/equity-statement
There I have also provided links to pages that document the hateful and harassing messages towards members who challenge the Vaccination Mandate, some of which unfortunately have been repeated by union executives:
No More Hate Towards Members Challenging Vaccination Mandates
Dehumanizaion Awareness Project (Evidence of hate campaign by Gov't and Main Stream Media)
Your response to my letter will be documented there as well. I look forward to it as further evidence that Union is taking any matter related to members' discrimination and harassment seriously. For the same reason, I'm also Cc-ing the Union President.
Sean, I trust you can raise this issue in one of your upcoming BoD meetings.
As emphasized multiple times in the past, I am communicating with you and everyone else - including all content published on my "Your Voice at PIPSC" portal and newsletters - solely in capacity of a regular member and 2024 VP (PT) candidate, not as an NCR executive.
…
In solidarity
Dmitry
No More Hate
Towards Members who challenged Vaccination Mandates!
Being an NCR Executive member, I have personally witnessed the use of demeaning language by Union staff and senior executives when referring to members who did not comply with Vaccination Mandates.
These members are often labeled by Union EROs and Executives as individuals "who refused to be vaccinated"—a phrase that mirrors language used towards alcoholics “who refuse to be” treated for alcoholism.
The Union has been consistently avoiding acknowledging these members as individuals who stood up for their fundamental rights—rights such as bodily autonomy, medical privacy, informed consent, life security, and freedom of religion. These principles motivated their decision not to comply with the mandates, even when faced with severe financial penalties. Many believed the Employer's actions, including threats of indefinite loss of income for failure to disclose medical information or undergo a medical procedure, were unreasonable or potentially unlawful.
The mandates forced members into untenable positions, often requiring them to accept procedures without full transparency regarding their efficacy or potential side effects. This coercion eroded trust and placed undue pressure on individuals to sacrifice their principles.
Even more troubling is the observation that such degrading and dismissive rhetoric was not isolated to PIPSC. Many other unions echoed similar messaging, suggesting that these attitudes may have been coordinated and influenced by external entities, namely the Employer who imposed these mandates.
This page documents evidence supporting these claims, highlighting the need for accountability, transparency, and a renewed commitment to defending the rights and dignity of all members.
Examples:
An email communication to PSAC members aimed at distilling hatred towards members who protest against violation of their fundamental rights by the employer: Email, Analysis
Related discussions: PSAC member case, PIPSC member case
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The content for this page is provided by the member who personally experience such language / actions.
This page is set to examine the origin of harassing and discriminating rhetoric towards members who challenged vaccination mandates.
The content on this page is contributed by members who have personally experienced such rhetoric, including from the Union representatives.
See also:
Why BoD did not challenge the Vaccination Mandate from onset? (TBA)
Why BoD did not follow up with its original intent to assist members placed on LWOP for non-compliance with Vaccination Mandate (TBA)
Dehumanization Awareness Project (2021-2022)
Data source: Dehumanization Awareness Project (Google Sheet)
This project documents the increasingly hostile, dehumanizing and at times threatening rhetoric used in Canada against people who decline the current Covid vaccines.
When the public come to see one group as the cause of their problems, as a physical threat to their safety, as dirty and dangerous, as unacceptable members of their society, as obstacles that are the only thing that stand in the way of liberation from crisis—it is not difficult to see that atrocities may follow.
The goal of the project is to hold up a mirror to Canadians, show them how far removed from basic norms and values of community and society their thinking about, and treatment of, some of their fellow human beings has become.
Holding up a mirror may help to slow down or bring to a halt this otherwise escalatory process. And documenting this rhetoric may be valuable for a process of truth and reconciliation afterwards.
If you have examples of the kind of hostile rhetoric, please send them to kmswinkels@protonmail.com
For a video on the process of dehumanization, the emergence of a totalitarian society and the risk that atrocities may follow, see e.g. this video by professor Mattias Desmet (not affiliated with the project).
"Professor Mattias Desmet talks about his work that connects past historical episodes of what is called “Mass Formation”... and current events. The risks are as grave as they come. Unless a few brave and courageous people are willing to stand up and say “I don’t agree!” history suggests that we will end up with a fully totalitarian outcome."
For historical examples and in-depth analysis on the origins of totalitarianism, please read Hannah Arendt's classic. It is freely available in Open Library in PDF and Audio formats.
I received the following letter from a member. I'll used it for the open letter that I'm writing to the new PIPSC President. Stay tuned:
Subject: A Call for Accountability: Protecting Members Harmed by the Vaccine Mandate
Dear PIPSC Leadership,
I am writing to express profound disappointment in the Institute’s failure to adequately represent and protect members who have been severely harmed by the employer-mandated vaccine policies. This glaring oversight undermines the very principles of fairness, equity, and protection that PIPSC claims to uphold.
The language and tactics used to justify these unjust vaccine mandates and the subsequent treatment of unvaccinated members bear a disturbing resemblance to historical injustices. Parallels can be easily drawn to the systemic discrimination faced by LGBTQ2+ individuals, who were ostracized, punished, subjected to 'conversion therapy,' and silenced under the guise of public health and societal norms.
Similarly, Indigenous communities endured significant harm under residential school programs, where rhetoric such as 'we’re helping them,' 'we know better,' and 'it’s for their best' was used to enforce compliance and strip individuals of their autonomy and dignity. History has shown these actions to be profoundly harmful, often accompanied by harmful, intimidating, and derogatory remarks. These examples underscore the deeply rooted biases that have caused unnecessary suffering for countless individuals.
Today, unvaccinated members face similar biases, discrimination, marginalization, and disenfranchisement within their workplaces—mirroring those same patterns of exclusion. What is most troubling is the Institute's passive approach, which, rather than advocating for all its members, appears to align with the very systems perpetuating harm.
The Role of PIPSC
PIPSC exists to advocate for its members and protect their rights, regardless of personal choices or external pressures. By failing to address the injustices faced by unvaccinated members, the Institute is not only neglecting its responsibilities but also implicitly endorsing a culture of discrimination and exclusion.
Your silence and inaction have left many members feeling abandoned and unprotected during one of the most divisive and challenging times in recent history. Instead of challenging the employer’s mandate and fighting for fairness, PIPSC has allowed itself to be complicit in the disenfranchisement of its own members.
A Call for Action
It is not too late to correct this course. I urge PIPSC leadership to:
Acknowledge the Harm Done: Publicly recognize the harm inflicted on unvaccinated members due to the vaccine mandates and the Institute’s lack of advocacy on their behalf.
Commit to Advocacy: Actively support and protect all members, including those affected by these policies, by challenging unjust workplace practices.
Foster Inclusion: Develop and enforce policies that prevent discrimination and exclusion based on vaccination status.
Learn from History: Ensure that PIPSC does not repeat the mistakes of the past by adopting the language and systems of exclusion and discrimination.
Moving Forward
As a union, PIPSC must remain steadfast in its commitment to equity and inclusion for all members. Leadership must demonstrate that it is willing to stand up to employer mandates that infringe upon individual rights and create harm within our community.
The parallels to historical injustices are stark, and the lesson is clear: silence and inaction in the face of discrimination only enable harm. It is time for PIPSC to lead with courage, integrity, and a renewed commitment to the principles upon which it was founded.
I look forward to your prompt and thoughtful response. Let us not look back on this moment as one of failure, but as a turning point where PIPSC chose to advocate for justice, fairness, and the dignity of all its members.
HI Dmitry,
The International Labour Organisation is on board with the 4IR, so don't expect any resistance from any union under their control, or affiliation. That is why they disappeared, literally during covid. And are still absent now. The workers need to organise outside of the unions.
Blessings,
Janey