You might have skipped this news, as so much is going on. But it's huge (!)-- McGill law profs are unionizing (!!!!!), which is unprecedented in the 200 years of this university's history. Although that piece of information is incomplete: McGill law profs voted to constitute a union, and are currently seeking certification at the Tribunal administratif du travail... with McGill administration opposing it. So far, Provost Manfredi spent almost two full hearing days contesting the certification, on rather shaky grounds, and Dean Leckey is set to contest on the next hearing date, February 14th, 2022. Quite disheartening that it is our student fees $$$$$$ that are most likely covering their opposition.

We sat down for a hour-long conversation with Professor Evan Fox-Decent, interim President of the Association of McGill Professors of Law. Many topics were covered, among which a compelling explanation of the labour procedure our profs are engaged in, what a shift from a servant/master employment relationship to a union would mean for our profs and our faculty, and how a profs union might very well align with students' interest by decentralizing governance.

Compared to 16 other law faculties across the country (all outside of QC), McGill stands out as having the least stringent measures in place to ensure the safety of their student and faculty body. This is not solely as a result of the absence of a mandatory vaccination policy; in fact, there is a spectrum of measures that have been implemented by other Canadian Universities so that students and staff can manage their exposure, and be protected while learning on campus. For example, several universities chose to conduct mandatory vaccination declarations so that they could provide students data with the percentage of school population who are vaccinated. This information has been used to inform subsequent health protocols and transparently inform students of the risks engaged with being on campus. Another measure seen is the use of rapid antigen testing programs for those who are unable or unwilling to be vaccinated. University of Saskatoon, University of Calgary, University of New a Brunswick, Dalhousie, and Western all require rapid tests to be conducted twice weekly, and for the results to be submitted onto a secured portal set up by the university. In UBC and UVic the requirements are of a weekly test.

So why is McGill so bad at handling the pandemic?

We discuss the matter with prof Richard Gold-- you'll hear about the measures that in fact could be implemented, unrepresentative university governance, legal-ish things assessing McGill's credibility when it claims it is Québec's laws that prevents it from doing what must be done, and prof Gold will also beautifully deconstruct (some) anti-vaxxers' comparisons between their situation and segregation.

You'll also hear from Emily Black, a fellow CKUT pal. We dive into what this means for immunocompromised folks like herself to evolve in McGill during this pandemic and what McGill had to say to immunocompromised folks (hint: it is bad). We'll also cover SSMU's demands regarding covid safety on campus, and how they were dodged.

The focus of this final episode is on the changes that need to happen, and ways we can dismantle by-laws and policies that penalize homelessness and lead to discriminatory treatment and profiling of unhoused Montrealers.

We will hear from dean Marie-Eve Sylvestre, one of the leading scholars on the judicialization of homelessness. She conducted an in-depth study of tickets that have been issued to individuals experiencing houselessness since 1994, and documented the uninterrupted growth and evolving trends of such judicialization. You can access her work 'La judiciarisation de l’itinérance à Montréal : les dérives sécuritaires de la gestion pénale de la pauvreté' here-- https://www.erudit.org/fr/revues/rgd/2017-v47-rgd03131/1040516ar/

On jase ensuite des positions des partis municipaux vis-à-vis de ces enjeux-là avec Balarama Holness, candidat à la mairie de Montréal et fondateur de Mouvement Montréal, et Martine Musau Muele, candidate de Projet Montréal pour le poste de conseillère de ville dans le district de Villeray. Les élections municipales, ça a lieu le sept novembre prochain (!!).

D'ailleurs, la plateforme de Projet Montréal sera (probablement bientôt??) accessible là-- https://programme2021.projetmontreal.org

Et celle de Mouvement Montréal, ici--https://www.mouvementmtl.com/fr/programme

This one is born of another collab between RadLaw and the Student Legal Clinic for Resilience Montreal. The episode does a deeper-dive into the harmful encounters between the penal system and houselessness within the city, focusing on the lived experiences of Claude and another person that are both experiencing houselessness, the intersection between houselessness and urban Indigeneity, and ways forward.

You'll hear takes on the matter from two folks who are experiencing houselessness, and what they would like to be the way forward-- more empathy, more solidarity, more caring relationships.

You'll also hear from Danielle Beaulieu, the Justice Support Services Coordinator at the First Peoples’ Justice Centre. We got to focus on the intersection between Indigeneity and houselessness, and to discuss ticketing, abolitionism, and moooore.

We also chatted with David Chapman from Resilience Montreal, about ticketing, gentrification and dehumanization.

We conclude with a powerful talk with three McGill law peers that are involved at either the Student Legal Clinic for Resilience Montreal or the Clinique juridique itinérante, to discuss what's next, and particularly how to build solidarities with houseless people within the city. In this bit, Jeanne is referring to this great resource-- 'Policing Homelessness in the Pandemic', available here-- http://policinghomelessness.ca.

The first episode in a three-part series put together by some of our peers at RadLaw McGill and the Student Legal Clinic for Resilience Montreal.

This first episode dives into the issue of municipal by-laws that disproportionately impact unhoused people and effectively penalize homelessness. In today’s episode, we’ll introduce this issue and hear from the Director of Resilience Montreal, and McGill Law students who have worked with clients experiencing homelessness.

This episode’s talks center around the housing crisis. Brett jase avec Cecilia Marangon du très badass HOJO, which empowers people by communicating tenancy law in an accessible manner. Cecilia notes the short supply of affordable housing in Montreal despite pandemic-related vacancies, and what to do if your landlord hits you with a rent hike, among other things. You’ll hear something along the lines of “Don’t give up! Once you give a little bit of your rights, it’s just a path that keeps going”.

Michelle a jasé Gaëlle Fedida des liens entre la violence conjugale et le logement abordable. Gaëlle est la coordonnatrice de l’Alliance provinciale des maisons d'hébergement de deuxième étape pour femmes et enfants victimes de violence conjugale, qui offre des logements transitoires sécuritaires. We strongly encourage you to ring your MPs about the total lack of meaningful tackling of gender violence in the CAQ's latest budget.

And finally, Brett takes back the mic to learn from Steve Pomeroy, a Canadian housing policy researcher, about the root causes of the affordable housing crisis and what might be done about it. They cover everything from the rise of housing commodification and speculative investment to rent control, inclusive zoning, and the impacts of AirBnB.

Enjoy!

This episode is a talk on the ways in which the pandemic --and related public policies-- most affects already marginalized people, particularly those without a house within the city.

Legalease's Brett interviewed Jessica Quijano from --among many other things-- the Defund the Police Coalition and the Native Women's Shelter, where they got to dissect the ways in which both intersect. The second half-hour of the podcast is a conversation between Legalease's Audrey and fellow McGill law pals Anna, Laurent and Emily, who are involved with the Clinique juridique itinérante and Resilience Legal Information Clinic. What follows is an enlightening talk about criminalization of poverty, revitalization of Indigenous laws, and the Superior Court's most recent decision in Clinique juridique itinérante v. Procureur général du Québec.

Policy analyst Russ Diabo speaks to Legalease's Michelle Pucci about Bill C-15, "An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples", and why the Indigenous Activists Network says it fails to recognize Canada's international obligations.

Image credit: In 2019, the government of British Columbia became the first to implement UNDRIP in Canada. ("Recognizing and Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" by BC Gov Photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Bill 21 prohibits capable persons from working public sector jobs if they wear any visibly religious symbols. Since it became law, many people who want to serve the Quebec public have had their dreams destroyed. It is easy to understand why this law disproportionately affects minorities, pushing them out of employment and further marginalizing them. Beyond the letter of the law, Bill 21 has many dangerous implications, which demand reflection about the ways discrimination continues to be perpetuated by our governments.

Legalease's Audrey sits down with UQAM Professor Vincent Romani to discuss coded racism, and the ways in which Bill 21, as a colonial law, deprives minorities from their subjectivity and humanity, while giving in to the ‘québécois-es pure laine’ a right to racism.

Legalease's Michelle interviews Maître William Korbatly, a lawyer in Quebec who gives workshops about the effects of Bill 21. Me. Kobatly discusses the ongoing legal challenge of Bill 21, as well as the right to gender equality and the right of linguistic minorities to autonomy when it comes to education.

Legalease's Camila chats with McGill Law student Asiyah Siddique, she is VP Academic and part of the Muslim Law Students Association. Asiyah talks about who she is, her take on bill 21, and how she still makes the case for optimism.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their time to this episode, the speakers, and those who are working to raise awareness about the harmful impact of Bill 21.

Photo from: Manifestation en solidarité contre la Loi 21 at the Palais de Justice, Montreal.

Frontline and essential workers are the people who keep us fed, and cared for everyday. The Covid-19 Pandemic has brought us to question whether the employment and labour laws in place do enough to protect these workers. Will we continue to take these populations for granted?

Our conversations highlight the inevitable intersection between employment rights, migrant workers, and the systemic inequalities that keep marginalized groups in positions of vulnerability and exploitations.

Legalease's Michelle speaks with Vicki McKenna and Catheryn Hoy, President and Vice-president of the Ontario Nurses Association.

Michelle also spoke with Jennifer Scott, a courier and organizer with Foodsters United.

Legalease’s Camila spoke with Marco Luciano, the Executive Director of Migrante Alberta.

We also hear McGill Law Professor Adelle Blackett, speaking at an event sponsored by Montreal en Action, an organization challenging systemic racism in the city. Professor Blackett is an expert in labour and employment law, trade regulation, and critical race theory.