Village: Rooted in Strength, Rising Together
To: PSAC Locals/Branches in the BC Region
- Conference details: October 3-5, 2025
- Conference location: Hilton Metrotown, 6083 McKay Ave, Burnaby, BC V5H 2W7
- Application Deadline: Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time Zone
All delegates are expected to attend the full conference.
We are pleased to inform members that the 2025 PSAC BC Regional Conference for Racialized Members will be held Friday, October 3, 2025 – Sunday, October 5, 2025. This conference is a fully funded event for delegates.
More information about travel and loss of salary will be available as part of the full delegate package, which you will receive on confirmation of registration.
We encourage you to personally inform PSAC BC Racialized members in your area to ensure they are made aware of this Conference. In workplaces where members continue to work from home, please share with your contacts or ask to post the information on the Union’s electronic bulletin board (if there is one at your workplace).
The deadline to apply as a Delegate for this Regional Conference is Monday, August 18, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time Zone.
Conference Objectives
The objectives of the 2025 PSAC BC Regional Conference for Racialized Members are:
- Honouring our histories while building toward collective growth and empowerment;
- Collecting our stories: racism in the workplace.
PSAC BC racialized members will gather to learn, share, and strengthen the PSAC Racialized program under the theme “Village: Rooted in Strength, Rising Together”.
Delegates will take part in a session on “Collecting Our Stories”. This session will be developed and delivered by PSAC Human Rights staff, and will be an opportunity to gather lived experiences of racism faced by racialized members in their workplaces. This session will take a trauma-informed approach and ensure privacy of the members is respected if they choose to share their experiences. This information will be collected to better understand the racism experienced in the workplaces. It may also, with the consent of the members, be used for any legal actions that the PSAC may be pursuing to address systemic racism in the workplace.
Delegates will also attend the workshop “Taking Power Through Our Shared History and Looking Forward”. This workshop will focus on empowering and strengthening the skills of racialized activists at all levels of the union by better understanding our successes, avenues to address challenges, and leadership opportunities.
Additionally, your Organizing Committee has planned several additional activities and sessions for the duration of the conference.
Conference Information
The conference will begin Friday, October 3, 2025, at 1:00 PM (with registration taking place from 11:00 AM -12:30 PM). We will open the conference, and members hear from our guest speaker. The conference will conclude on Sunday, October 5, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
Delegates who reside within 80 kilometres of the venue:
- Will be entitled to claim loss of salary for Friday (and Saturday and Sunday if normally scheduled to work);
- Will be entitled to claim a $50 per day allowance for Saturday and Sunday (or actual costs if higher) to cover the cost of travel (including parking) and meals;
- Hotel accommodation will not be provided.
Delegates who reside more than 80 kilometres from the venue will be considered as in travel status, which means the following costs will be covered:
- Will be entitled to salary for Friday (and Saturday and Sunday if normally scheduled to work);
- Travel costs, including ground transportation;
- Meal and incidental allowances (except those provided) as per the PSAC Travel Policy;
- Hotel accommodation costs at the Hilton Vancouver Metrotown Hotel;
- Hotel self-parking
Accommodation for disabilities
The PSAC Accommodation Policy strives to ensure that PSAC events are barrier-free for members with disabilities. Once selected as a delegate, members will be asked to specify their accommodation needs to facilitate their participation at the PSAC BC Regional Conference for Racialized Members.
Family care
The objective of the PSAC Family Care Policy is to remove one of the barriers, which prevents delegates from attending Union activities and which provides for the reimbursement of family care expenses. A copy of the policy is available on the PSAC website here.
On-site childcare is intended to remove a barrier to a delegate’s ability to attend at the conference and is provided only for those who could not otherwise attend, had the service not been available. Requests must be received no later than Friday, September 5, 2025.
PSAC policies: anti-harassment, scent-free and smoke-free environment
During the conference, and at all events associated with the conference, the PSAC Anti-Harassment, Smoke-free Environment and Scent-free Environment policies will be in effect. Please refrain from using scented products of any type.
If you have any questions with respect to the application form or the conference, please contact Kim Nguyen (nguyenk@psac-afpc.com / (236) 317-2644) or Varinder Johal (johalv@psac-afpc.com / (236) 317-1120).
Selection of Delegates
If you are selected as a delegate to this conference, you will be advised by email and/or telephone call. Please ensure you provide us with your contact coordinates that you will have access to during the months of September and October 2025.
We look forward to having PSAC BC Racialized members gather in Burnaby this fall to strengthen the PSAC Racialized program at the regional and national level.
Resolutions to the PSAC BC Regional Conference for Racialized Members
Resolutions will be discussed, debated, and voted on at the Regional Conference and then if passed, subsequently submitted to the PSAC National Equity Conference in 2026.
The deadline to submit resolutions is Friday, August 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM Pacific Time Zone.
Resolutions submitted at the Regional Conference should meet the following criteria:
- Raise awareness and propose strategies to address issues affecting racialized members;
- Prescribe tools and resources to help members confront racism;
- Contribute to building an anti-racism labour movement.
Resolutions should be accepted at a meeting of the recognized body with the motion noted in the minutes. A copy of the minutes may be requested.
- The resolution word limit is 150 words (this includes the “Whereas” and “Be it Resolved” portions of the resolution but does not include the title);
- Resolutions should be submitted as a Word document, in Arial font, size 14;
- Resolutions can be submitted in either the traditional or clear language format; and
- Submitted resolutions should not include any special formatting such as boxes or drawings.
Please include the submitting body’s contact information in the cover letter or email. A list of eligible PSAC submitting bodies is provided below.
Resolutions to the Regional Conference can be submitted by the Regional Council, Locals/Branches, Components, Regional Women’s committees, Area Councils, and recognized PSAC Regional Committees. All resolutions are to be received no later than Friday, August 1, 2025 at 4:00 PM Pacific. Please submit resolutions in electronic format to Yameena Zaidi at ZaidiY@psac-afpc.com or by mail to:
PSAC BC Racialized Members Conference Resolutions Committee
200 – 5238 Joyce Street,
Vancouver, BC V5R 6C9
In Solidarity,
Jamey Mills
Public Service Alliance of Canada
Regional Executive Vice-President, BC
Celine Ahodekon
PSAC BC Regional Council
Racially Visible Coordinator