Why Anti-Racism Policies Aren’t Enough

Challenging Capitalism’s Intrinsic Racism in the Workplace

[The following formed the basis of comments made on behalf of the Hamilton and District Labour Council to an event for the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination hosted by the Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Council in 2025.]

In recent years, workplaces across the globe have made public commitments to anti-racism. From diversity trainings to equity committees, from wellness groups to inclusive hiring practices, employers have rolled out initiatives aimed at addressing racial inequality. These efforts are often well-intentioned, and in some cases, they’ve made a difference. But let’s be clear: no amount of anti-racism policies or workplace initiatives will dismantle racism if we don’t address the root cause of the problem. That root cause is capitalism—a system that is intrinsically racist, exploitative, and designed to prioritize profit over people.

Capitalism was not built on fairness or equality. It was built on exploitation. From the transatlantic slave trade to the colonization of Indigenous lands, capitalism has always relied on the subjugation of racialized people to generate wealth. Enslaved Africans were the engine of the early capitalist economy in the Americas. Indigenous peoples were displaced and massacred for their land and resources. And even after slavery was abolished, capitalism continued to thrive on racial hierarchies—segregated labor markets, exploitative wages for workers of color, and systemic barriers to wealth accumulation.

This history is not incidental; it is foundational. Racism is not a flaw in the capitalist system—it is a feature. Capitalism depends on inequality. It depends on creating divisions among workers—by race, gender, nationality, and more—to keep labour costs low and profits high. It depends on maintaining a disposable underclass of workers who can be exploited for their labour and then discarded when they are no longer useful. And it depends on keeping workers divided, distracted, and disempowered.

Against this backdrop, workplace anti-racism initiatives can feel like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet wound. Diversity trainings and wellness groups are not inherently bad, but they often fail to address the structural inequalities that perpetuate racism. What good is a diversity committee if workers of color are still paid less than their white counterparts? What good is a wellness program if Black and Brown workers are overworked, undervalued, and denied opportunities for advancement? What good are anti-racism policies if the ultimate goal of the workplace is still to maximize profit at the expense of human dignity?

The truth is, racism in the workplace cannot be solved with surface-level changes. It requires a fundamental shift in how we think about work, power, and value. It requires us to confront the fact that capitalism is designed to exploit workers—and that workers of color are often exploited the most. It requires us to ask: Who benefits from the current system? And who pays the price?

This is where unions should (and have) come in. Unions have always been about more than just better wages and benefits; they’ve been about challenging the system. They’ve been about collective power—about workers standing together to demand not just a fairer share of the pie but a new recipe entirely. And in this moment, unions have a critical role to play in the fight against racism.

Unions CAN push for policies that address economic inequality—like living wages, universal healthcare, and paid leave—that disproportionately benefit workers of color. They CAN fight for transparent hiring and promotion practices that dismantle systemic barriers. They CAN center the voices of workers of color, who are often hit hardest by exploitation. And they CAN build solidarity across racial lines, recognizing that the fight for workers’ rights and the fight against racism are one and the same.

Unions CAN do all of things, but they are often also subject to systemic barriers that propagate racism within their own structures and the collective agreements they bargain for members. So while unions CAN certainly be a bulwark against racism, they can’t do it alone.

Workers must show up and speak up. We must demand more than just surface-level changes. We must challenge the idea that capitalism can ever be equitable or just. We must imagine a world where workplaces are not driven by profit but by the needs of the people who make them run. And we must fight for that world—not just for ourselves, but for future generations.

What would it look like to truly challenge capitalism’s intrinsic racism in the workplace? It would mean redefining the purpose of work. Instead of prioritizing profit, workplaces would prioritize people—their well-being, their growth, and their dignity. It would mean ensuring that all workers, regardless of race, have access to fair wages, safe working conditions, and opportunities for advancement. It would mean creating systems of accountability that empower workers to hold employers accountable for discrimination and exploitation. And it would mean building a new economy—one that values people over profit and justice over greed.

This vision may seem radical, but it is necessary. Racism in the workplace is not an isolated issue; it is a symptom of a larger system that thrives on inequality. If we want to dismantle racism, we must dismantle the system that perpetuates it.

Let’s not settle for empty gestures or half-measures. Let’s not be fooled into thinking that anti-racism policies alone will solve the problem. Let’s dig deeper, think bigger, and fight harder. Let’s challenge the system itself. Because until we do, racism will continue to thrive—not just in our workplaces, but in every aspect of our lives.

The fight against racism is a fight for a new world where justice, equity, and solidarity are not just ideals, but the foundation of everything we do.