What human rights-oriented organization in Canada has more than 3 million members and does not have much to say about Palestinians or Gaza?
A church, no.
A children’s charity, no.
An environmental outfit, no.
A hospital foundation, no.
A civil liberties group, no.
It is the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC). There is a war of six months duration, perpetrated by Israel that has killed more than 32,800 Palestinians, including 15,000 children, wounded more than 75,000 and created at least one thousand child single and double amputees— and the CLC has said next to nothing about it. In fact the CLC has issued only two press statements about it.
Is their excuse that they leave politics to their hundreds of affiliated unions to decide?
If so, not very many unions have received the memo. On 16 Jan. 2024 in a press statement, the CLC Executive Committee “reiterated its support” for the ITUC. The ITUC’s forerunner, the ICFTU (International of Confederation of Free of Trade Unions) according to former CIA agent Philip Agee’s 1975 book, Inside the Company: CIA Diary, was a “labor center set up and controlled by the CIA to oppose the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU).” The WFTU is a progressive trade union centre set up by the Soviet Bloc and many non-communist countries after World War II; the ICFTU broke away to form a new centre-right labour centre.
The International Trade Union Centre (ITUC) in a short and lacklustre statement called for a ceasefire and a return of the hostages. It also called for meetings of the Israeli union central, the Histadrut to discuss the situation. The Histadrut works hand in glove with the Israeli government and has been part of the pro-zionist, settler colonial “project” in Israel for many generations. It is not known for supporting the Palestinian cause. So solidarity with a sister union trumps solidarity with the Palestinians?
Still, in January 2023, the ITUC also wanted a meeting with the Palestinian Workers’ Union in order to support the Palestinian cause. All of this is so much pious nonsense. There is a genocide against Palestinians and the ITUC not only seldom “mentions” it but pretends that unions in Israel actually want to pursue peaceful solutions.
Biden admits “the pain being felt” over the war on Gaza and sends billions in weapons to Israel
At least the CLC (and the ITUC) are in good company. Their fellow union centre in the US is the AFL-CIO. A search of the AFL-CIO’s website reveals nothing about support for Palestinians. The AFL-CIO’s president Liz Schuler on the website touts “Labor for Biden 2024” because Biden believes in “worker power.” Maybe. But last week alone, Biden okayed the transfer of billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets to Israel. The new arms handover includes more than 1,800 MK-84 2,000lb bombs and 500 MK-82 500lb bombs as well as 25 F-35A fighter jets. The planes alone are worth $2.5 billion. Despite Biden acknowledging “the pain being felt” by many Arab Americans over the war on Gaza and over US support for Israel, Biden vowed to continue his support for Israel. As one White House spokesman pointed out, “We have continued to support Israel’s right to defend itself.” Another official said, “Conditioning aid has not been our policy.”
The AFL-CIO is so intent on electing Biden for a second term that it is ignoring his collusion with the Israeli war machine.
Back in Canada, a few unions have stuck their necks out to support Palestinians. Nearly six months ago the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) passed an emergency resolution to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a ban of arms sales to Israel and an end to Israel’s ‘diplomatic immunity’ at organizations such as the United Nations. It also called for an end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza.
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), is an outlier. It has long supported Palestinian rights and CUPW’s site has for years profiled Palestinian struggles. The union has sponsored trips to meet with Palestinians, and some of its members participate in Labour 4 Palestine. In February, the union welcomed the report by the ICJ (International Court of Justice) that said Israel had committed “plausible genocide.” On 8 Feb, CUPW demanded that Canada resume our funding to UNWRA (the United Nationals Works and Relief Agency for Palestine Refugees) for humanitarian aid, halt the arms trade between Canada and Israel and ensure Canada is not complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza and it’s illegal occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) organized a webinar with Independent Jewish Voices Canada and Labour for Palestine, last November in support of the Palestinian struggle. On 14 Oct., PSAC released a call for an immediate ceasefire to prevent any further deaths of Palestinians.
The Hamilton and District Labour Council (HDLC) called for “an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East” and ending the occupation of Palestinian territories. The HDLC also called on our governments to stop arming Israel, and to supply humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
On 17 Oct., 2023, UNIFOR, Canada’s largest private sector union, called for a ceasefire and an end to the occupation. In March 2024, UNIFOR hosted a union-wide webinar in support of Gaza which featured a speaker from Independent Jewish Voices Canada (IJV) , and one from the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM).
In BC, a group of teachers, retired teachers and supporters started Teachers for Palestine to raise Palestine in school curricula. Most teachers’ unions have not issued any statements on Gaza. One exception is the BC Teachers’ Federation (BCTF) which represents about 50,000 teachers. On 9 Nov, 2023 BCTF pledged $50,000 to UNWRA “to bring lifesaving supplies to refugees in Gaza.”
The Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) represents 250,000 nurses and student nurses in nine provinces across Canada. On its site, the CFNU mentions donations to the Red Cross, Oxfam and the Stephen Lewis Foundation – for causes such as Ebola, and Syria, but not a word about Palestinians or Gaza.
“Gaza needs humanitarian aid and health care; why doesn’t my union speak up?”
There are nurses’ unions, teachers’ unions, health sciences unions, construction unions, and even professors’ unions that are affiliates of the CLC. As one nurse in Halifax told me, “Gaza needs humanitarian aid and health care; why doesn’t my union speak up?” Most of these union affiliates, if they put out a statement at all, it tends to be a boilerplate declaration which are relegated to the back “pages” of the unions’ websites.
For a number of years, a nongovernmental organization, Labour 4 Palestine, has promoted BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) and other union support for Palestinians. In fact in late October, L4P with other anti-war groups organized sit-ins in the offices of 17 members of Parliament – some of whom were NDP members. One activist reported, “the NDP were ‘appalled’ that we would challenge them.” Sit-ins took place in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver and other places. The NDP motion was so watered down, it was next to useless. Other things Parliament should have agreed to include:
-Calling on Israel to conclude a prisoner exchange deal;
-Imposing sanctions on Israeli leaders complicit in the genocide;
-Recognising the right of the Palestinian people to resist the illegal occupation;
-Imposing a two-way arms embargo
-Recognising the right of Palestinians to national self-determination by recognising the State of Palestine.
What have unions done to help?
But what have unions seriously done in the last three months? Not a lot. Things are rapidly changing in Canadian society; my article reveals that the Canadian media – whether newspapers, TV, CBC-radio and even online commentary – have for the most part turned their backs on Israel. Israel’s generals, military spokesmen, talkshow hosts, and politicians are seldom interviewed today.. The facts of the destruction of Gaza and the starvation of its millions of people comes through loud and clear. Israel has destroyed every one of Gaza’s 12 universities. By the end of November 2023, 30 out of 36 hospitals in Gaza had been destroyed by Israeli missile and bomb attacks. Al-Shifa, Gaza’s largest hospital, has been under siege by Israeli troops and drones for the last two weeks – leaving hundreds of medical personnel and patients dead. On Sunday, Israel bombed the tents around the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital compound in Deir El-Balah refugee camp in central Gaza. Hundreds more will now sleep on the streets and 15 were killed including families and journalists who stayed in tents. All schools in Gaza have been closed for six months including 280 government schools and 100 schools operated by UNWRA. Most have been bombed to rubble; families try to shelter under the parts still standing—yet still the tens of thousands sheltering are regularly bombed.
Unions led by the near comatose CLC
Yet though these facts are known to many, Canada’s unions – led by the near comatose CLC – do little to nothing. It may be a trend that our unions are moving away from activism, away from demonstrating, away from criticizing our governments, away from commitment to the ‘social good’.
Still, what we see is eerie. Tens of thousands of Canadians across Canada have protested against Israel’s genocide and for a ceasefire every weekend for the last 26 weeks in cities and towns across Canada. From a dozen in front of post office in Fredericton, to 20 standing with signs in a frozen park in Thunder Bay, to thousands thronging the streets in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, Canadian protesters have pushed our government to timidly agree to a ceasefire policy.
Some progressive responses by unions
On 2 Apr. 2024 four national unions, NUPGE, CUPW, CUPE and the PSAC put out a joint statement which calls on the Canadian government to immediately suspend the trade of arms and military equipment with Israel.
The Ceasefire Now coalition includes quite a few unions and organized a day of action, a press conference, and an email campaign related to the NDP motion of 18 March.
La coalition URGENCE Palestine, includes most of the Quebec unions, though it only came together recently
CAPE (The Canadian Association of Professional Employees) put out a demand for a ceasefire in their Jan 29 statement.
Labour 4 Palestine has some good suggestions about what unions should do to support Palestinians:
- Respect and implement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: unions can ask employers they bargain with not to buy or import Israeli parts or goods and not sell products to Israel. By boycotting Israeli goods and products from the West Bank, unions are using a nonviolent way level sanctions against Israel.
- Unions should pass resolutions to force the Canadian government to disallow arm sales to Israel.
- Ask union leaders and members to join civic and student campaigns for an end to Israel aggression and its war on Gaza.
- Recognise the consequences for union members if they support pro-Palestinian activities. Ensure union members know their rights. To that end Labour 4 Palestine has posted three useful pamphlets:
- Since there continues to be discrimination or dismissal for unionised and non-unionised workers who support Palestine, the Arab Canadian Lawyers Association has a great tool to help unions and individuals to fight for their rights, here.
- There is a legal and tactical pamphlet from Just Peace Advocates who talk about how to fight discrimination at work against Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims. Here it is.
- The Muslim Legal Support Centre also has valuable information on how to defend rights in support of Palestine. You can find it here.
- Ask your union to donate to the Community Defence Fund. In January, Ottawa police issued tickets of $490 to #CeasefireNow marchers who allegedly violated noise bylaws by using a megaphone! This kind of fine could come to a city near you. Money is needed to fight the bylaw. Some Toronto demonstrators (on 30 Mar.) were violently assaulted and arrested by police. To get bail, a legal defense fund is important. There are other costs associated with Palestine solidarity protests that are needed to grow a Palestine solidarity movement.
Where are the unions? Where is the NDP? Where are the NDP Members of Parliament? Who is leading anything?
So where are the unions? Are they waiting for a signal from the US unions? Why, when less than 25% of unions in Canada are based in the US – unlike a generation ago when 75% were. Are they waiting to be pushed by the NDP? The NDP motion for a ceasefire passed on 18 Mar. was seriously watered down – though it was a start. As journalist Yves Engler notes, “This step forward was because hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets, heckled politicians, emailed officials, occupied offices, etc. in recent months.”
But the NDP did not get the memo. Few, if any NDP MPs attend the local rallies and demonstrations for Palestine. Hamilton MP Matthew Green made a speech at one of the public protests, but where are the rest?.
What is the lesson then? We have to increase the pressure on our union leaders to support Palestinian human rights and a stop to Israel’s genocide. So far, both unions and the NDP have been reluctant to be front and centre in this monumental struggle reminiscent of David vs Goliath.
Painting at the top: Painting by Halima Aziz, a German-Palestinian. Her mother is from Tulkarm and her dad is from Gaza. Aziz experienced Israel’s 2008 assault on Gaza. For more read this.
Another ruined dinner party... 