Code of Conduct
What is Movement?
Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders is a non-profit that represents our region’s one million transit riders. We’ve often been left out of the conversation, and we’re here to speak up for faster, more reliable, more abundant transit. We’re focused on the growing number of bus routes where riders are left behind by full buses, day after day, primarily in Surrey and South Vancouver, as well as the urgent need for bus lanes that cost almost nothing but massively improve commutes for hundreds of thousands of people.
Movement organizes on the unceded, ancestral territories of many Indigenous peoples, including 10 local First Nations: q́ićəý̓(Katzie), q́ʷɑ:ńƛ̓əń (Kwantlen), kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), máthxwi (Matsqui), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), qiq éyt (Qayqayt), se’mya’me (Semiahmoo), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), scəẃaθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).
We are a broad coalition of transit riders. Each of us has a diverse range of experiences and opinions.
What are Movement’s Goals?
Making transit work better for everyone. Making transit safe, convenient, accessible, abundant and reliable. Calling for infrastructure improvements that support the need of people riding transit before, during and after their journey. Expressing the sheer size of transit riders in the region, where 1-in-3 residents in Metro Vancouver use transit once a week.
Public transit is the solution to multiple crises. Let’s build strong coalitions.
Building strong relationships and trust with community organizations, elected officials across the political spectrum, the media, labour unions and transit riders across the region. Remaining non-partisan and leaning on our allies to mobilize action.
Public transit can be a lifeline for people who need it most, improved transit can also unlock more housing and employment opportunities for non-drivers.
Movement is advocating for public transit in Metro Vancouver to be:
Accessible
Dignified and convenient mobility for people of all ages and abilities, socio-economic backgrounds, disabilities, etc. Being aware of visible and invisible disabilities and how it impacts the transit riders’ experience.
Comfortable
Public transit should be safe and welcoming for everyone regardless of gender expression, sexual orientation, race, etc. This is also to do with infrastructure, ensuring safety and comfort onboard transit vehicles and getting from transit vehicles to destinations.
Convenient
Reliable, frequent transit service and connected active transportation networks encourages mode shift from single-occupant vehicles. Making better use of road space without road widening. Improving the movement of goods and services.
Reducing passive transportation demand for trips that involve the consumption of energy, especially fossil fuels and can be avoided or reduced in distance or frequency.
Equitable
Transit access needs to be equitable as well and this can be done by advocating for communities like Surrey and South Vancouver that are currently underserved by transit.
People should never be at a disadvantage because they do not own a car or do not have the ability to drive.
Discourse is great,
and so is respect
As an organization, we maintain our power by focusing on being the voice of transit riders. Politicians, elected or seeking election should focus on speaking to the needs of transit riders. Using us as a means of showing their support for transit riders, not the other way around. We will meet with politicians of any stripe. Our main goal is to get policies on the floor to support the needs of transit riders.
We do not endorse individual candidates or political parties.
We do not tell transit riders to vote a particular way. During election times, this is especially important. We do not know the results of an election, remaining non-partisan during an election means that we maintain healthy communication and relationships with politicians taking office.
What we will do is put together a report card to demonstrate which candidates are in support of very specific policies that benefit transit riders. This is never an endorsement, but rather information provided to inform voters who are interested in transit-forward policy.
We do not discuss religion. We do not discuss geopolitical issues.
We do not discuss the political positions of parties and politicians beyond transportation and relevant land use policies.
We share our opinions, respectfully.
There is no reason to put down others or engage in unhealthy or toxic behaviour around personal interests and beliefs relevant to transportation and land use. We engage in healthy discussion, freely sharing ideas.
At Movement, we discuss public transportation and closely-related issues in Metro Vancouver.
The importance of being respectful
As the largest group representing the needs of transit riders across the Metro Vancouver region, we need to ensure we are respectful, inclusive and make a lasting impression as an organization.
Respectful behaviour is not only important to our reputation and achieving our external goals, it is also crucial to maintaining a safe, inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for our volunteers and supporters.
Respect is also very important and relevant to context. For example, at volunteer and committee meetings, we can discuss ideas more freely, while at events open to the public we must behave respectfully to the event organizers and others in attendance, not speaking out of turn or sharing personal opinions outside of Movement’s scope.
Movement’s brand and image is crucial to winning the support and trust of the community and decision-makers.
How to be respectful
Being respectful of diversity.
Understanding that our volunteers, supporters and allies are of different backgrounds, ages, abilities. We all deserve equal respect, and we should make a firm effort to be inclusive and support equity-deserving groups.
Being respectful of visible and invisible disabilities.
We serve a diverse community of transit riders, including many who have impairments or disabilities that may be physical, mental, psychological or sensory or a combination of factors either temporary, intermittent or ongoing.
Recognizing that not all disabilities are the same, decision-makers can often assume that disability is simply wheelchair access while leaving out the needs of deaf, hard of hearing, blind, and partially sighted individuals and a variety of other impairments and disabilities.
As an organization, we will engage in opportunities to learn more about disability.
Being respectful of neurodiversity.
We recognize the importance of ensuring that everyone feels comfortable and respected regardless of if they identify or are aware that they are on the Autism spectrum. We want to create an inclusive environment that empowers people on the spectrum to participate.
We recognize that some individuals are on the Autism spectrum or have similar experiences like sensory differences, difficulty understanding social cues, some may not always behave in ways expected of them. We have a zero tolerance for bullying or hate speech of any kind including those targeted towards people on the Autism spectrum.
Where one’s behaviour is intentionally or unintentionally in contravention of this code of conduct, we are willing to work with the individual to understand how we can ensure a comfortable and respectful environment. If the behaviours continue we may ask the person committing the offending behaviour to not attend future events or engage with Movement. As an organization, we will engage in opportunities to learn more about neurodiversity.
Being respectful of gender diversity.
We recognize the importance of ensuring everyone feels comfortable and respected regardless of gender. We recognize that some individuals are Two-spirit, Transgender, Non-Binary and other Gender Diverse (2STNBGD).
We have a zero tolerance for bullying, hate speech including intentional misgendering or use of slurs towards those who are transgender, transitioning, non-binary or gender diverse. As an organization, we will engage in opportunities to learn more about gender diversity.
Taking meaningful action towards truth and reconciliation, engaging with First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM) communities.
Recognizing the unceded territories of the Coast Salish peoples in so-called Metro Vancouver. Understanding the harms caused by colonization and how infrastructure projects including railways had been used to sever communities and attempt to erase their culture and connections to the land. As an organization, we will engage in opportunities and learn more about First Nations, Inuit and Metis (FNIM) communities.
We have a zero tolerance policy towards discrimination of race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religious identity, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, immigration status, genetic characteristics, or disability.
Forgiveness and Consequences
We will make an effort to handle issues with warnings or a series of warnings, but this may not always be the case.
There may be certain behaviours repeated, found to be done in spite of past warnings or where the contravention was extreme in nature.
Movement staff have the sole discretion to ask that the person committing the offending behaviour; not attend future events, not identify themselves as a representative of Movement, and not interact with some or all of Movement staff, volunteers, donors, etc.