I've Lost Family To War In Gaza. Relief For Palestinians Looks Bleak: Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib
Native Palestinian Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib who says he has lost 30 family members to the war in Gaza joins Rising.
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Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Howard Levitt: A union should stand up for its members, not a foreign regime hostile to organized labour
Earlier this week, a flyer began circulating online promoting a June 22 rally against the war between Israel and Iran. 'Hands off Iran,' the flyer said, and invited protesters to gather outside the U.S. consulate in Toronto. An accompanying social media post called for 'building and preserving unity in confronting Zionism' and pledged support for the Palestinian and Iranian people, and 'all people across the world who continue to resist imperialist and Zionist domination.' The lead sponsor of the event, it turns out, is the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). The union drew immediate criticism and condemnation from politicians, the media and many of its own members. The flyer was taken down, and CUPE issued a statement saying it was 'an early unapproved draft version' and that an approved flyer 'would be shared shortly.' However, they have issued no such new version, and the demonstration is going ahead. The mishandling of promotional material for such an obviously contentious event (if it was mishandled, which I question), should alone raise alarm bells about CUPE's leadership. But the fact that the union is involved in this event at all is beyond the pale. Iran has the world's worst human rights record, and a well-known history of torturing and murdering its dissidents, raping female prisoners, persecuting minorities and sponsoring terrorism around the world. It is also famously opposed to organized labour, and CUPE itself has previously condemned the Iranian regime for persecuting labour activists. So why is Ontario CUPE organizing a rally in support of Iran, a country recognized by Canada (and others) as a state supporter of terrorism? Does it hate Jews so much that it would ally itself with a regime that, other than antisemitism, opposes everything the union ostensibly stands for? For years, I have had Jewish union members complaining to me about antisemitism in their unions, particularly public sector ones. This dramatically exacerbated after Oct. 7 when unions, along with universities and the radical left, organized and came out to support the pro-Hamas rallies that ubiquitously took over Canadian streets. Their Jewish members, unsurprisingly, felt discriminated against, disenfranchised by their unions' public position supporting groups calling for their extermination. Remember, CUPE's legal obligation is to represent its members, not discriminate against them. Similarly, as unions conducted DEI seminars, Jewish members felt excluded — not only because the seminars failed to recognize them as a group that, according to Statistics Canada, experienced dramatically more discrimination than any other, but because the DEI trainers characterized Jews as residing at the top of the hierarchical pyramid, part of the 'white oppressor class.' This is similar to the experience of Jewish employees compelled to attend corporate DEI seminars with the same anti-semitic messaging, but seemed even worse because their unions were ostensibly there to protect them against just such discrimination. Ontario CUPE's sponsorship of this weekend's rally supporting Iran takes this to ludicrous heights. Why are unions permitted to use their Jewish members' monies to oppress them and to organize around a regime that poses such an obvious existential threat? CUPE and its leader, Fred Hahn, are already being sued by Jewish members for antisemitic conduct. That lawsuit has obviously not dissuaded them. This is the same Fred Hahn who tweeted his support of Oct. 7 at the time, and the same CUPE that asked one of its locals at York University to hijack their classes and teach on 'Israeli oppression' instead. We do not see CUPE or other unions concerning themselves with states that have no democratic foundation at all and routinely violate human rights. If they did, the world's most egregious violator is Iran. What is telling is that, when it came time to put its foot on the scale to either fight discrimination or support antisemitism, CUPE came out unequivocally in favour of the latter. Unions receive taxpayer subsidies and compulsory union dues, ostensibly for the purpose of assisting them in their collective bargaining. One can understand how some expenses beyond those of strict collective bargaining can be justifiable, such as lobbying for worker-friendly political parties, or on behalf of causes supportive of workers' collective bargaining gains. But supporting Hamas or Iran, beyond discriminating against some of their members, cannot possibly assist unions in obtaining higher wages, benefits or other terms of employment for their members, which is a unions' legal purpose, Yet there is no legal restraint on unions' spending membership and taxpayer money on whatever their hearts desire. This is not only of concern to union members but to taxpayers, since we all subsidize unions. Union dues are tax deductible, and strike pay and union investment funds are not taxed. So, what can be legally done? Legislation should be passed limiting money obtained from compulsory union dues or government tax subsidies to non-collective bargaining purposes and have that be audited. If unions wish to spend money for other purposes, it should only use funds collected from their members voluntarily for those purposes. Ideally, CUPE would know that if it were the law, virtually no member would contribute their wages for such union picadilloes. As for the aggrieved union members, they should organize to decertify CUPE for a union that does not violate its obligations to them. In the meantime, expose the union's behaviour on social media, organize against it, make clear that they will not participate in its activities and will continue to work if CUPE calls a strike. They could also commence a lawsuit, potentially a class-action one, against the union for intentional infliction of mental stress, conspiracy to injure, intimidation and defamation. Another option is to petition the union to cease its activities, and, if they do not receive a response, publish the letters on social and other media. They could also file an application with the labour relations board, on the grounds that the union has breached its duty of fair representation in a manner that was discriminatory and in bad faith toward Jewish members. Howard Levitt: Is unionization good for employees? A side-by-side comparison Howard Levitt: When employers play games with severance packages, they often lose There are remedies. It is past time to utilize them and for government to pass the necessary legislation. Howard Levitt is senior partner of Levitt LLP, employment and labour lawyers with offices in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. He practices employment law in eight provinces and is the author of six books, including the Law of Dismissal in Canada. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Alleged Jew hater arrested for trying to run Rep. Max Miller off road while showing Palestinian flag and using slurs
Ohio police have arrested a man for allegedly attempting to run Republican Rep. Max Miller off the road Thursday while using anti-Jewish slurs and flying a Palestinian flag. Miller, 36, said in a video posted to X that an 'unhinged, deranged man decided to lay on his horn and run me off the road when he couldn't get my attention to show me a Palestinian flag.' Feras S. Hamdan, also 36, was arrested and charged with aggravated menacing following an investigation, the Rocky River, Ohio, police department said in a Friday press release. 3 Rep. Max Miller says he was the victim of an anti-Jewish road incident Thursday. AP 3 Feras Hamdan was arrested after police investigated. A police report says Miller accused Hamdan of calling him a 'dirty Jew.' 'Congressman Miller reported he was driving on Interstate 90 [around 9:30 a.m. Thursday] when the suspect threatened him and his family along with making antisemitic slurs,' the department said. '[T]he second party to the road rage incident was identified as [Hamdan] from Westlake… Hamdan voluntarily turned himself in at the Rocky River Police Department, with counsel, and is awaiting a court appearance.' 3 Miller says Hamdan called him a 'dirty Jew.' X/@MaxMillerOH The First Amendment generally protects Americans' use of religious and racial slurs, but when used in the commission of a crime can result in hate-crime designations for enhanced punishment. It was not immediately clear if Hamdan will face more stringent prosecution as a result. Miller, who represents and area south of Cleveland, is one of four Jewish House Republicans and worked in President Trump's first administration as an advance and personnel office aide.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Suspect accused of running Jewish GOP congressman off the road in ‘blatant antisemitic violence' arrested
A northeast Ohio man was arrested Thursday on allegations that he threatened and spewed antisemitic epithets at Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller while the two were traveling on an interstate highway near Cleveland. Police in Rocky River said Feras S. Hamdan, 36, of Westlake, voluntarily turned himself in with counsel present and is awaiting an appearance in municipal court. A message was left with his lawyer seeking comment. Miller, who is Jewish, called 911 while driving on Interstate 90 on his way to work Thursday. He reported that another driver was cutting him off, making profane hand gestures, showing a Palestinian flag and shouting death threats targeted at him and his 1-year-old daughter. 4 Feras S. Hamdan, 36, of Westlake, voluntarily turned himself in with counsel present after allegations that he threatened and spewed antisemitic epithets at Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller. Rocky River Police Department 4 Miller, who is Jewish, called 911 while driving on Interstate 90. X/@MaxMillerOH 4 Miller said that a driver was cutting him off, making profane hand gestures, showing a Palestinian flag and shouting death threats at him and his daughter. 4 Miller discussed the incident on social media. X/@MaxMillerOH After an interview with police, Miller filed a complaint against Hamdan alleging aggravated menacing and sought a criminal protective order. Local police continue to investigate with assistance from the U.S. Capitol Police, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Attorney's office and the Rocky River prosecutor. The Ohio Jewish Caucus praised Rocky River police and extended their thoughts to Miller and his family, noting the incident followed by just days the politically motivated shootings in Minnesota, which left two people dead and two others injured. 'Enough is enough,' the all-Democratic legislative alliance said in a statement. 'There is no place for this type of violence — whether it be political, antisemitic, or ideological — whatsoever. We believe we can solve our differences with humility, not hatred.'
