Suing her CUPE union over systemic antisemitism

The CJN Daily with Ellin Bessner

On Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas terror attack on Israel, Fred Hahn—the president of Ontario’s chapter of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)—wrote a tweet on his social media account: “I’m thankful for the power of workers, the power of resistance around the globe. Because #Resistance is fruitful and no matter what some might say, #Resistance brings progress, and for that, I’m thankful.” It was a controversial post, due to the timing, though Hahn denies he was referring to Oct. 7—even though the longtime labour leader has a history of pro-Palestinian activism, and CUPE Ontario has long come under fire for years for harbouring antisemitic sentiments. For Carrie Silverberg, it was the last straw. The Vaughan, Ont. woman–who is a CUPE member as required by her job in a public school board–decided to take Hahn, and the union to court. The education worker is the lead plaintiff in a human rights complaint filed with Ontario’s Human Rights Tribunal. Her case was also joined by nearly 80 other union members. For years, Silverberg has fought to change her union’s anti-Israel policies; it makes her sick that CUPE uses her mandatory membership dues to support anti-Israel boycotts, calls to renew UNRWA funding, and standing with the recent encampments on university grounds. On today’s episode of The CJN Daily, Carrie Silverberg joins to explain why she’s in for a long legal fight.

What we talked about:

• Read more about CUPE Ontario’s adoption of a pro-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policy in 2006, in The CJN
• Learn about the time a CUPE local at the University of Toronto hosted a speaker who had been ordered to be deported from Canada because of his ties to the PFLP terrorist organization, in The CJN
• CUPE members supported and participated in the U of T encampment in May, in The CJN.

**Credits: **

The CJN Daily is written and hosted by Ellin Bessner (@ebessner on Twitter). Zachary Kauffman is the producer. Michael Fraiman is the executive producer. Our theme music is by Dov Beck-Levine. We’re a member of The CJN Podcast Network. To subscribe to this podcast, please watch this video. Donate to The CJN and receive a charitable tax receipt by clicking here. Hear why The CJN is important to me.