CJLC Raises Serious Concerns Over OPSEU/SEFPO Webinar Promoting Racist Rhetoric

The Canadian Jewish Labour Committee (CJLC) is expressing serious concern over the content of a webinar held on July 16, 2025, entitled “Global March to Gaza – Experiences and Stories.” Organized by several OPSEU/SEFPO Equity groups and promoted widely through the union’s website and mailing lists, the event featured OPSEU members, staff, and external speakers, including a CUPE representative. Attendees were unable to interact openly, as participant visibility and chat were disabled, with only limited use of the Q&A function permitted.

The session was framed as an expression of solidarity, but it descended into a platform for hostile, harmful, and discriminatory discourse targeting Jewish people and Israelis. These were some of the comments said by speakers:

“It just seems that every time you turn around, there’s something special that the Zionists are asking for.”

“There are very many [Jews] who are sticking their necks out, because once they do, they’re not treated very nicely by their own people.”

“It’s like a game to them, shooting these innocent babies.”

“My tax dollars contribute to genocide and killing children.”

The CJLC notes that the event made no effort to include Jewish or Israeli perspectives. Jewish union members were broadly maligned and discussed in absentia, creating a discriminatory and exclusionary space that undermines union values of inclusion and respect. “This webinar wasn’t just disappointing - it was antisemitic,” said Kim Kazur, a CJLC spokesperson. “It’s part of a disturbing pattern in OPSEU programming that promotes harmful narratives about Jews under the guise of equity. Token disclaimers about antisemitism don’t erase the damage caused when anti-Jewish racism is given a platform.”

The session violated OPSEU’s own anti-harassment and discrimination policies by maligning individuals based on their religion, ethnicity, and national origin.

The CJLC Calls on OPSEU to:

• Publicly acknowledge the harm caused by this and similar events
• Cease the use of union platforms to disseminate antisemitic or discriminatory narratives
• Ensure Jewish representation in all equity and human rights programming
• Reaffirm its commitment to equity and inclusion for all members