this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2023
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Vegan Firefighter Loses Bid To Protect Ethical Vegans From Discrimination (plantbasednews.org)
submitted 11 months ago by PuddingFeeling907@lemmy.ca to c/canada@lemmy.ca
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[–] lazylion_ca@lemmy.ca 96 points 11 months ago (3 children)

Knauff, a veteran of Ontario’s provincial forest firefighting force, has been vegan for over 25 years. In 2017, he was working long hours in tough conditions fighting wildfires in British Columbia. According to non-profit Animal Justice, which campaigns for stronger animal laws, Knauff’s employer failed to provide appropriate vegan meals for him at the basecamp where he was stationed.

He was often served meals containing animal products, or nutritionally inadequate meals containing no source of protein. Sometimes no food was provided for him at all.

Despite repeated attempts to work with management to improve the situation, nothing changed.

After Knauff was disciplined and suspended without pay after expressing his frustration, he sued his employer.

I gotta side with him on this one. While his is a lifestyle choice, some people do have special dietary needs. If you want people to work in these types of conditions you have to take their needs into consideration.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 18 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I want to side with him, and I think there is a good argument that he's right, but yours has a fatal flaw:

If you want people to work in these types of conditions you have to take their needs into consideration.

The fact that they fired him indicates they don't want him to work in these types of conditions. They don't want the logistics hassle associated with his chosen lifestyle.

The article claims that repeated attempts were made to negotiate with management to "improve" the situation. Those attempts could be considered negotiations. He may or may not have secured promises from management in exchange for his continued employment. The breaking of those promises could potentially be considered fraud.

[–] JillyB@beehaw.org 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Some people have medical or religious dietary restrictions. I think the employer would have to accommodate those. Ethical restrictions is a grey area.

[–] PuddingFeeling907@lemmy.ca 50 points 11 months ago (2 children)

But why are ethical restrictions any less valid than religious dietary restrictions?

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

He argued that veganism was protected as a "creed". The Ontario Human Rights Code considers 5 factors in determining whether a belief system constitutes a creed. Under that code, a "creed":

  1. Is sincerely, freely and deeply held
  1. Is integrally linked to a person’s identity, self-definition and fulfilment
  1. Is a particular and comprehensive, overarching system of belief that governs one’s conduct and practices
  1. Addresses ultimate questions of human existence, including ideas about life, purpose, death, and the existence or non-existence of a Creator and/or a higher or different order of existence
  1. Has some “nexus” or connection to an organization or community that professes a shared system of belief.

Veganism clearly meets 1, 2, and 5, but I'm not quite seeing 3 or 4.

[–] ebc@lemmy.ca 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I think you could probably argue that ethical veganism is a deeply held belief that humans are not inherently superior to other animals, and that said animals also have emotions, etc.

This would address 3 as it would definitely govern one's conduct and practices: not exploiting animals in any way.

I would also argue that it addresses ultimate questions about human's place in the living world, partially addressing 4.

Also, looking at federal law (https://www.justice.gc.ca/fra/sjc-csj/dlc-rfc/ccdl-ccrf/check/art2a.html), looks like "liberté de conscience et de religion" should be interpreted widely:

La « liberté de conscience et de religion » devrait être interprétée largement et s'étendre aux croyances dictées par la conscience, qu'elles soient fondées sur la religion ou sur une morale laïque et les termes « conscience » et « religion » ne devraient pas être considérés comme tautologiques quand ils peuvent avoir un sens distinct, quoique relié.

So Ontario's interpretation here is potentially unconstitutional, especially if their decision hinges on something as minor as what a belief system has to say about a Creator.

EDIT: Not a vegan at all, but I can understand the ethics.

[–] Anamnesis@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I agree with this, though "lifestyle choice" can make it sound like a mere preference. Preferences aren't the same as sincerely held moral beliefs, and they shouldn't be treated as flippantly as these people treated him.