Unveiling Barriers: DEI Collective Agreement Audit
Richmond Hill Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
In 2023, RHPL formulated a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy, informed by a major DEI staff survey that found that staff members who experience marginalization feel fewer opportunities for advancement and staff development than those who do not.
As a result, the DEI strategy included an initiative to explore internal systems and structures to determine if there are systemic barriers to diversification, equity-building, and inclusion in RHPL’s internal environment. Since the majority of staff are union members, the collective agreement was an important structure to view through a DEI lens. To this end, RHPL conducted an audit of the collective agreement, seeking to understand how, as a critical element of our employment infrastructure, it might be acting as a barrier to the growth of a workforce that embodies diversity, equity and inclusion, and which could lead to a richer, more successful team dynamic.
Challenge/Opportunity
As part of RHPL’s DEI strategy development a staff survey was done. The results showed significant areas for improvement, including the results below, all of which are governed by the Collective Agreement (CA):
- 45% feel supported in their career growth
- 38% believe that people from all backgrounds and various lived experiences and identities have equitable opportunities to advance in their careers
- 27% believe that the process for career advancement/promotion is clear to employees
The following findings may also be related due to the connected nature of identity with background and lived experience:
- 56% believe that their unique background and identity are valued
- 56% feel comfortable sharing all parts of their identity with colleagues
The findings suggest that the mechanisms for advancement needed to be assessed re: how they support or deter the building of a diverse, equitable, inclusive environment, most notably the CA as it is the primary determinant of hiring and promotion.
Key Elements of Innovation
The goal was to know if the CA, which governs hiring and promotion, is a barrier to DEI. Survey findings suggest that staff who experience marginalization are significantly more likely to feel that they have fewer opportunities for advancement than those who do not.
The audit was an initiative within RHPL’s DEI strategy, intended to create proactive support for staff who experience marginalization.
Key Partners:
- DEI Strategy co-design team
- External labor relations and DEI experts
Activities:
- Surveyed staff to understand relationships to DEI
- Collaboratively determined objectives and strategies to improve DEI
- Neutral 3rd-party assessed the CA and made recommendations
Uniqueness:
- DEI-focussed assessment of a CA is novel
- Strategy co-design team included almost every level of staff including part-time and entry-level
Innovation:
- Management able to advocate for union member enhancements
- Innovative case study of actionable systemic change that can positively impact majority of staff.
Achieved Outcomes
Success is measured by the level of understanding of barriers to DEI in the CA, including types of risk factors and their severity. The audit produced these deliverables:
- DEI Risk Factors Assessment of the CA, which determined 9 DEI risk factors and evaluated the risk level for each. The 9 factors are: gender, ethnicity, religion, differing abilities, intersectional diversity, socio-economic, LGBT+, age, and race. 5 factors were determined to be high risk, 2 are medium, and 2 are low. Each was prioritized accordingly and carried forward into bargaining
- 23 CA articles have actionable recommendations that will reduce barriers, which have been carried into CA bargaining
- Given that the recommendations are aimed at creating a more equitable, inclusive workplace, an additional dimension of this initiative is that management has spearheaded CA improvements that are intended to improve circumstances for union members.
- Measurable results to be determined by our next DEI and culture surveys.
