CUPE’s National Executive Board has passed a motion to ask General Vice President Fred Hahn to resign from his position after he made a social media post on August 11 people had decried as antisemitic. This move would not impact his role as CUPE Ontario president. The motion indicated CUPE’s National Executive Board has lost confidence in Hahn to represent it in his role and calls for his resignation from his position. “We are awaiting his response and will communicate it to you in the coming days,” said CUPE National President Mark Hancock and National Secretary-Treasury Candace Rennick in a Wednesday letter to all CUPE chartered organizations. “We will have more to say to you after we hear from Brother Hahn.”.Hahn confirmed he had deleted the video he shared on Facebook that sparked this controversy and regretted putting it up, which was an Israeli Olympic diver leaping from a springboard before turning into a bomb and blowing up houses in Gaza. “My intention in posting it was to call attention to the reality that, while the Russian Federation was barred from participating at the Paris Olympics, the State of Israel was permitted to participate — which appeared clearly to me to be a double standard,” he said. “My intent was never to associate Jewish people with the violence enacted by the State of Israel.”.He said it “remains my strongly held view that it is a terrible mistake and antisemitic to conflate abhorrent actions by the State of Israel with Jewish humanity or identity.” Meanwhile, he pointed out the horrors continuing to unfold in Gaza and the ongoing colonization of the West Bank are troubling and continue to cause anguish and pain for many people. In the political realm, Ontario Premier Doug Ford gave Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development Minister David Piccini a shoutout for confronting Hahn at an event on Tuesday. “I’m proud of you, David,” said Ford. “This guy’s been a bully for 20 years.”.At the moment, Ford said he was getting messages on his cellphone from CUPE members saying Hahn’s comments have been disgusting. He called him “a disgusting human being anyways, but that’s here nor there.” Piccini said on Tuesday Hahn should be representing his members rather than making antisemitic remarks. READ MORE: WATCH: Ontario labour minister calls out CUPE Ontario president for antisemitic remarksWhile Hahn has been vocal in his support for Palestine, Piccini said what he has said about Jews is antisemitic. “And your members reach out to me,” he said..Since CUPE’s National Executive Board wanted Hahn gone, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) commended it. “Hahn’s actions have tarnished CUPE’s mission to advance workers' rights in Canada and made Jewish CUPE members feel unsafe,” said CIJA. “Jewish union members reported unprecedented levels of racism, hostility and discrimination within CUPE, largely due to the so-called leadership of Fred Hahn.” .CIJA called on him to resign immediately for his antisemitism. It said it would be happy to meet with Hancock to repair their relationship and work to ensure Jews feel like the union they belong to is a safe place for them. Hahn said in October people are misunderstanding his past comments about freeing Palestine during its ongoing conflict with Israel. READ MORE: CUPE Ontario president justifies supporting Palestine“For anyone to imagine that I would ever endorse violence is horrific to me — it speaks volumes about the times we're in — I have spent my adult life fighting for justice for workers — building power and solidarity for working people to resist — to win better,” he said. .He called these “deeply tragic and troubling days — days that call on all of us to be clear — so let me be clear.” He added he has never celebrated violence.Hahn could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
