CJLC Welcoms CAPE’s Rejection of Anti-Israel Resolutions

Ottawa, ON – December 1, 2025 – In response to the decisive defeat of multiple anti-Israel resolutions at Canadian Association of Professional Employees’ (CAPE) Annual General Membership Meeting, Kim Kazur of the Canadian Jewish Labour Committee (CJLC) issued the following statement:

“The Canadian Jewish Labour Committee congratulates the more than 27,000 members of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees for decisively rejecting a series of politically driven anti-Israel resolutions and reaffirming that their union’s primary responsibility is to advance the workplace interests of its members.

“At CAPE’s 2025 Annual General Assembly, more than one quarter of all member-submitted resolutions centred on anti-Israel themes promoted by the group ‘ACEP-CAPE4Palestine.’ These proposals sought to divert more than $500,000 in union dues away from workplace priorities to fund an inquiry into ‘Anti-Palestinian Racism,’ attempted to label Israel’s response to the October 7 Hamas attacks as ‘genocide,’ and demanded a BDS-style divestment campaign targeting the Public Sector Pension Plan’s Israel-related investments. More than 70 percent of voting members rejected these proposals.

“CAPE members also voted, with an 83.6 percent majority, to adopt a resolution directing CAPE leadership to prioritize issues that directly affect workers in their jobs and in their relationships with their employer, instead of divisive external geopolitical agendas. This reinforces a clear mandate: CAPE members expect their dues to fund bargaining, representation, and workplace protections – not foreign-policy interventions.

“These concerns were not abstract. Jewish members have publicly raised issues of exclusion and targeted hostility within CAPE in recent months. CAPE’s National President, Nathan Prier, is currently the subject of a formal complaint related to social-media posts directed at Jewish members, including comments he has acknowledged as his own.

“With collective agreements expiring and the federal government signalling a reduction of 40,000 public-service positions, Canadian public-sector workers are facing serious challenges that require focused leadership. CJLC encourages CAPE’s leadership to respect the clear direction set by its members, maintain its focus on workplace matters, and take meaningful steps to ensure a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for Jewish members and for all employees.”