President of MUHC’s Largest Employees Union Uses N-word During Meeting with Human Resources

MUHCEU President, Robert Lagueux twice himself used the N-Word during a meeting scheduled with the employer to address the inappropriate use of the same word by a Housekeeping supervisor.

Based on information received by MB, during a meeting with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Human Resources Interim Director Michèle Gauthier and the Associate Director HR Operations, Vincenzo Altomonte, the president of the medical centres’ largest union, a Caucasian male, twice used the N-word. The same word for which the union officially deposited a complaint with the employer.

The meeting scheduled with the MUHC Human Resource Department took place in early 2019, following complaints received by the Montreal General Hospital’s CSN local union office in November 2018 concerning the use of the N-Word by a Caucasian Housekeeping Department supervisor in a conversation with three Black employees.

Sources who asked to remain anonymous, for fear of reprisals, confirmed the union was upset with the inaction from the employer towards the Housekeeping supervisor who used the N-word and requested a meeting to demand accountability.

Manuel’s Blog launched an investigation after learning the use of the N-Word by the union president was reported by a delegate attending a MUHCEU council meeting, (a quarterly gathering of all the elected union delegates).

On May 28, 2019, Manuel’s Blog sent an email to Robert Lagueux seeking comment. He replied the same day stating, “I asked management if the n word was any better or less offensive than clown or to use to the w-word. They’re answer was, it wasn’t the same context.”

In the first week of June, MB received new information after the MUHCEU posted an image on the union’s Facebook page showing the union’s executive wearing t-shirts with what appears to be the Coalition Main rouge logo with the words – Stop Discrimination.

Pursuing our inquiry with the new information, we confirmed the union president twice used the N-Word during a meeting with MUHC Human Resources senior management, scheduled to address the one time use of the same word by a Housekeeping supervisor.

Manuel’s Blog sent an email to a spokesperson representing the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) seeking comment. Once a reply is received, we will update.

Post updated: June 16, 13:47 p.m.