WHEREAS, Triple Canopy, a Department of Homeland Security contractor that provides security services throughout federal buildings in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, has unfortunately been in the news lately for poor quality-of-work conditions, as well as insufficient protection from harassment and discrimination; and
WHEREAS, Notably, in Philadelphia, Triple Canopy is in violation of Bill #200252, which became law in November 2020 and amended The Philadelphia Code to clarify that unlawful discrimination on the basis of race includes discrimination based on characteristics commonly associated with race, such as hair texture and hairstyles; and
WHEREAS, In layman’s terms, Bill #200252 is a local version of the CROWN Act. CROWN is an acronym that stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. Bill #200252 banned hair discrimination in housing, employment, school, competitive sports, and beyond; and
WHEREAS, The hard working men and women of Triple Canopy put their lives on the line every day to secure Federal government buildings such as the IRS, Social Security offices, Federal Courts, Immigration, FEMA, and Customs House; and
WHEREAS, Triple Canopy has specifically been targeting African American men who wear their facial hair in a certain style either for religious reasons or health reasons; and
WHEREAS, Triple Canopy is promoting an atmosphere of harassment by demanding workers prove their religion and chronic medical conditions every four months, and workers are being written up even if they have documents detailing why they cannot shave; and
WHEREAS, Hair discrimination is still very much a reality for African Americans, whether they identify as male or female, and whether it is regarding hair on their head or hair on their face; and
WHEREAS, This fight is about more than just hair; it is about African American culture, and it is about religion. This fight is about accepting individuals as they are, and how no one should face discrimination because they are comfortable in their own skin and chose to identify and present how they want to identify and present; and
WHEREAS, The security workers deserve respect for protected religious expressions and medical conditions as well as a workplace free from discrimination or harassment; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby supports the workers of the Department of Homeland Security contractor Triple Canopy in their reasonable demands for improved working conditions, particularly their protection from hair discrimination.
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