Latest news with #CUPEOntario
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Politics
- Business Wire
Respect Indigenous Rights and Withdraw Opposition to Bill C-61, CUPE Ontario Tells Ford Conservatives
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Ontario is calling on the Ford Conservatives to rescind a letter co-signed by Ontario Environment Minister Todd McCarthy, who asked his federal counterpart to prioritize development and competitiveness over clean, safe drinking water for Indigenous communities. After the federal Liberals signalled plans to re-introduce Bill C-61 – legislation meant to guarantee First Nations communities' access to clean drinking water – both McCarthy and the environment minister for Alberta wrote to the federal environment minister, asking her to refrain from going ahead with the bill. Bill C-61 died when Parliament was prorogued earlier this year. 'Minister McCarthy can call it 'confusion,' but he put his request in writing to the federal environment minister and he has yet to withdraw it,' said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. 'Indigenous leaders have called for the minister to resign, and our union supports their demand. 'But Premier Ford must also intervene to rescind the letter officially, as part of the government's effort to correct this deeply troubling misstep.' Hahn pointed out that, time and time again, 'the Ford Conservatives deny the human rights of Indigenous people and communities, and this attitude is born out of nothing more than ingrained environmental racism.' 'CUPE members are among those who work to provide clean drinking water in cities and towns across Ontario,' he continued. 'Would Minister McCarthy threaten the drinking water of residents of Bowmanville or Burlington, or any other town or city, in the name of competitiveness? No. Apologies notwithstanding, the minister has undermined decades of advocacy by Indigenous people to secure safe reliable drinking water for their families and communities.' As CUPE's Water Is Life campaign asserts, access to clean water is not a privilege, but a right that should be afforded equally to everyone in Canada. 'We've already seen the Ford Conservatives impose legislation that is harmful to Indigenous communities,' said Dawn Bellerose, past leader of CUPE's National Indigenous Council and a vice-president on CUPE Ontario's executive board. 'This time, they are attempting to block legislation that would benefit Indigenous communities. The ongoing lack of respect is insulting and hurtful. This government needs to do better, and I support the call of Anishinabek Nation Grand Counsil Chief Linda Debassige for the minister's resignation.' Jennifer Smith, chair of the CUPE Ontario Indigenous Council, said: 'Too many First Nations communities in Ontario have boil-water advisories that are decades old. Indigenous communities continue to live with the impacts on the health, well being and futures of their people. Bill C-61 would help end this particular brand of environmental racism, but the Ford Conservatives are hoping to see it flourish. It's immoral, and we add our voice to those demanding respect, equity and true recognition of Indigenous sovereignty.' cj/cope491
Toronto Sun
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
KINSELLA: 'Twisted' anti-Israel ideology has CUPE Ontario members concerned
CUPE Ontario leadership undemocratic, unrepresentative, unhinged, say some of its members Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario, speaks to a crowd in support of children's aid workers across Lanark, Leeds and Grenville at a rally held in Brockville on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Photo by Sabrina Bedford / Brockville Recorder and Times Surprise! CUPE Ontario is undemocratic, unrepresentative and unhinged, said some of its own members. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account And increasingly, the union leadership's animus towards Jews is getting worse, they claimed. CUPE Ontario's 2025 draft 'action plan' provides ample proof, they said. The lengthy document contains scores of statements by the union adopted at their recent convention. But the plan doesn't reflect members' priorities, they said — and it reveals that the union, led by the controversial Fred Hahn, is no longer representing its members. 'They're not accountable to us,' said a member of the union, who was granted anonymity in exchange for their views. 'They claim that they are, but they're not. The vast majority of CUPE Ontario members have no idea that this is going on … And (the action plan) really does nothing to advance worker rights here in Ontario.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Evidence of that are not hard to find in the latest CUPE Ontario action plan. A sampling: Read More — 'CUPE Ontario will continue to advocate for the rejection of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, including demanding a withdrawal of legislation which has adopted this definition.' The problem with that? The IHRA definition of antisemitism is regarded as the common-sense definition and the one that dozens of countries have formally adopted — including every major democracy on the planet, critics of Israel included. — '(CUPE Ontario will) continue to work with our allies to fight against 'bubble zones' that limit our constitutional right to protest.' The problem there? Fanatics have shown their willingness to attack people worshipping when they are at their most vulnerable at mosques, synagogues or churches. Such 'bubble zones' already are used to protect abortion clinics, so why doesn't CUPE Ontario object to that, too? We all know the answer. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. — 'Work with CUPE Nationals International Solidarity staff to advance education efforts on anti-Palestinian racism (APR).' The problem with that pledge is the benign-sounding 'anti-Palestinian racism.' APR has been interpreted by some to mean that Israel is completely illegitimate — and that the Jewish state's existence is considered 'racist' toward Palestinians and should therefore be erased from the map. To many, APR does not accept that Israelis and Palestinians can and should co-exist. — 'We commit unequivocally against genocide and for the rights of the Palestinian people.' The problem with that commitment, of course, is that the numbers — and the reality — simply don't support the 'genocide' blood libel; in April, no less than Zaher al-Wahidi, the head of statistics at the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, told Sky News that thousands of individual deaths in the Israel-Hamas war had been reclassified. 'We realized a lot of people died a natural death,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. And so on and so on. The CUPE Ontario action plan, to some of its own members, is an extremist manifesto and one that doesn't truly reflect what a union is supposed to be doing. And it's wildly undemocratic, they said. '(CUPE Ontario's conventions) are the furthest things from a democratic process,' one said. 'CUPE Ontario has roughly 290,000 members — but only about 1,100 have voting rights at conventions and attend conventions.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO When anyone tries to oppose CUPE's extremist stances? Said a member: 'Other viewpoints, other opinions, they get shut down.' There's no democratic process in CUPE Ontario, they said. The most extreme example of that came last month, when CUPE Ontario endorsed and promoted a 'Hands Off Iran' protest at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto. Despite Iran being considered by many to have the worst human rights record in the world — and despite the fact Iran's Islamist rulers murder, torture, imprison, dismember, rape and brutalize their own people — CUPE Ontario officially embraced the world's No. 1 supporter of terrorism. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Said one member: 'We don't truly believe that CUPE Ontario's leaders are invested in workers' rights anymore. Look at the 'Hands Off Iran' protest that CUPE Ontario put their stamp on … They're so twisted in their ideology and where their allegiances lie now.' So what can be done? Some members are looking at signing with other unions. Some are talking decertification. Neither is an easy process, however. But something has to be done to get CUPE Ontario back to representing its members, they said. 'Union members need to be made aware of what's actually happening and where our money is going,' one said. 'We need people to step up.' So CUPE Ontario members: Step up! Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls World World
Business Wire
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Wire
Politicians crossed the line in firing of York Region paramedic: CUPE Ontario
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CUPE Ontario is calling out City of Vaughan politicians for overreach in the firing of a long-serving York Region paramedic and for subjecting a dedicated employee to trial by social media. Katherine Grzejszczak, a member of CUPE 4900, was fired last week for a comment she made on Facebook in support of an anti-war rally. CUPE Ontario was one of more than a dozen sponsors of the rally and Grzejszczak is an elected member of CUPE Ontario's executive board. In her own Facebook post, City of Vaughan councillor Gila Martow appears to take credit for the firing of Katherine Grzejszczak. Martow posted that on June 20, Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca contacted York Region Chair Eric Jolliffe. That same day, Grzejszczak was dismissed. Two days later, noted anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian media figure Dahlia Kurtz boasted 'We did it' in a post celebrating Grzejszczak's dismissal. 'This is a personnel issue; no elected official is ever supposed to intervene in personnel issues,' said Hahn. 'Further, it's ridiculous to characterize comments as hateful when they are about documented atrocities and oppose genocide and war.' 'This sequence of political and social media maneuvering is disturbing and a gross violation of workplace fairness and due process.' He observed that while municipal politicians are usually 'quick to say that bargaining matters do not fall within their purview, here they are weighing in on an individual's employment.' 'Let us be perfectly clear,' Hahn continued. 'No politician has the right to decide the employment fate of a municipal worker. That line appears to have been crossed in this instance. This should be a matter of deep concern to the residents of York Region.' Krista Laing, chair of CUPE Ontario's municipal workers' committee, supported Hahn's view, saying, 'CUPE Ontario will always stand up against attempts to scapegoat or silence workers to score political points. As workers, we don't hand over our conscience and free- speech rights at the door to our workplaces. Being in a union means we stand up for each other, not just at the bargaining table, but everywhere, whether it's for Palestinians in Gaza, for Indigenous land defenders, or workers speaking truth to power. Our movement has always been rooted in justice.' kl/cope491
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Wire
CUPE Ontario Leaders Pledge Solidarity With York Region Paramedic Fired for Her Support for Anti-War Rally
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leaders of Ontario's largest union have unanimously condemned the firing of one of their fellow executive board members, vowing to support the dedicated frontline paramedic who spoke out on social media in favour of an anti-war rally in Toronto. Board members have also called for her full reinstatement by York Region. A Facebook comment by CUPE Local 4900 member Katherine Grzejszczak included criticisms of Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. On June 20 she was fired by York Region Paramedic Services management, after being questioned about the comment. 'Katherine is a strong, brave and principled CUPE member who was elected democratically by fellow CUPE Ontario members to be a leader in our union. She is also someone whose life's work is saving others from harm, and yet she's being punished for using her voice to oppose the mass harm of others,' said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. CUPE Ontario's executive board was unequivocal that this discriminatory treatment of a CUPE member is an affront to every worker who believes in the right to speak out for peace and justice, or on any matter of conscience. Executive members also pledged their support for efforts to overturn the termination. 'To dedicate your professional life to emergency response and preserving life, and then to be fired for giving voice to opposition to an ongoing genocide, exposes chilling contradictions,' said CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Yolanda McClean. 'It's the inconsistent position of York Region Paramedic Services that makes no sense.' 'As outraged as we are about Katherine's unjust termination, this dangerous situation has broader impacts,' said Hahn. 'No employer should be able to silence any worker for challenging injustice.' 'This is about the Charter right of workers, as persons of conscience, to speak out against genocide and war. Katherine's comment on Facebook aligns completely with CUPE Ontario's longstanding, democratically decided anti-war principles.' MU:cj/cope491
Toronto Sun
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
EDITORIAL: Pro tip for activists: Check your facts first
Protesters carry Palestinian flags and shout slogans during a demonstration march on April 21, 2024, in Toronto. Protesters demanded a ceasefire in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip. Photo by Maryam Majd / Getty Images It is utterly mystifying why so many activists on the left demonstrate such naivete and blinkered judgment when it comes to events in the Middle East. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The latest two examples are CUPE Ontario, which announced earlier this week that it was promoting and supporting a 'Stand with Iran' protest at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto, to be held Sunday. That comes on the heels of a bizarre and failed 'March for Gaza,' in which an estimated 40 Canadians joined protesters from 80 other countries, intending to hold a three-day march to Egypt's Rafah border with Gaza to join a peaceful demonstration. What could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot since Egypt made it clear the marchers weren't wanted there. One of the co-ordinators, Tatiana Harker of Palestine Vivra Montreal, was quoted by CBC complaining about the way they were being treated by Egyptian authorities. 'A lot of people are being detained, left in the (heat) without any answers, for two to three hours,' Harker said last week. Egyptian authorities confiscated their passports at a checkpoint without giving a reason. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. She complained that Canadian embassy officials in Cairo had not answered their calls. 'Our government is completely ignoring us,' she said. RECOMMENDED VIDEO When you choose to visit a country that neighbours a dangerous, war-torn region, intending to stage a political demonstration, you do so at your own risk. According to the London Daily Telegraph , protesters were recorded shouting, 'F— you, Egypt,' which is a peaceful protest in a way, but vulgar and ungrateful, given that Egypt was hosting these people against its will. One South African demonstrator posted a map purporting to show their route. Sadly, it misplaced Rafah, Cairo and the Suez Canal. Try Google Maps next time. As for CUPE Ontario, in a later post it said its earlier statement about the demonstration was a 'draft. 'The approved flyer for this event will be shared shortly and it will clearly identify Sunday's event as an antiwar rally.' That's a relief. We'd hate to believe any Canadian union would support a regime that hangs gay and lesbian people, murders women for not wearing hijabs and cruelly violates the human rights of their citizens — including union members. Read More NHL Canada Soccer Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA
