I am pleased to announce today that a settlement has been reached between the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit filed on behalf of women who experienced harassment or discrimination while working with the RCMP. While the women were not RCMP employees, they worked with us on our premises and had every right to feel safe and be treated with respect and dignity.
The details of the settlement are available at: http://www.rcmpsettlement.ca/.
As an organization, we are accountable for our actions and continue to expand on the measures we've put in place to address conflict and inappropriate behavior in the workplace. We've set up a centralized office to coordinate harassment complaints, and continue to encourage anyone who feels they are a victim of inappropriate behavior to report it. We have new permanent resources in place to advance gender equity, diversity and inclusion in the RCMP, including a new position on our Senior Executive Committee. The creation of a civilian Interim Management Advisory Board will also help lead the RCMP through a transformation of its culture and management practices.
Harassment and discrimination do not have a place in our organization. On behalf of the RCMP, I would like to thank the representative plaintiffs, Cheryl Tiller, Mary Ellen Copland and Dayna Roach for their courage in coming forward. I deeply regret that these women were subject to inappropriate behavior in our workplace, and apologize for the pain caused to them and their families.
As we look to the future, we're determined to continue to bring about positive change to our RCMP. My vision for the RCMP is to ensure we are fully trusted by the communities we serve, and admired for the way we treat people. This agreement is a further commitment from the RCMP to make right what we can, be the organization we need to be for our employees and Canadians.
Brenda Lucki
Commissioner