We acknowledge that we are writing this from the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nation.
We are aware of the stories courageously shared this past week bringing a spotlight to the sexism, harassment, and abuse that many women in the brewing industry have faced (most notably shared by @ratmagnet). Thank you to Brienne and all others for broadcasting these stories to the public.
We acknowledge and believe there is an issue in the industry.
We acknowledge and believe that silence is complicity.
We acknowledge that we want to be a part of the solution.
We must listen now more than ever before. We must give the space, time, and platform for those to speak. We must ask how we can help. We understand that this means hard and honest conversations amongst ourselves and with our industry peers. We admit that what we are saying may be imperfect. We support diversity in this industry, we believe the stories that have been courageously shared, and we stand in solidarity with these people. And finally, we acknowledge we should have said something sooner.
We have much to learn and are committed to improving ourselves, our brewery, and being leaders in our industry. With that, we have the following commitments:
- Review and renew our company values and zero-tolerance workplace harassment policy. Completed and shared publicly by no later than June 30th, 2021.
- Training and development for all employees, sales staff, and partners to be completed by a third-party consultant. Completed no later than July 31, 2021.
- Create and commit to 1 and 3 year goals for diverse hiring and staffing to be completed with a third-party consultant. Completed and shared publicly by no later than August 31st, 2021.
- Work with Kwantlen Polytechnic University to create a scholarship specifically for women in hopes of investing in the future of a diverse industry. Completed and shared publicly by no later than August 31st, 2021.
This is only the start and we have much more work to do. We encourage any and everyone to share additional work and commitments we should consider as a brewery. We are here to listen, to be a part of the change, and to hold our industry partners accountable.
Thank you to all those who have courageously shared their experiences, thank you to Brienne (@ratmagnet), and thank you to the breweries, festivals, and guilds who are instituting change at long last.
Bomber Brewing Team