Latest news with #KatherineGrzejszczak
Global News
01-08-2025
- Health
- Global News
Ontario paramedic fired for criticizing Israel on social media hopes to be reinstated
A York Region paramedic says she was looking forward to working in the field again after a six-year union leave, but she was abruptly fired last month over a Facebook comment criticizing Israel's military actions in the Middle East. 'I was about to be back on an ambulance at the end of July,' Katherine Grzejszczak said Thursday in her first public comments about the case. 'I was actually really excited and looking forward to going back out, to being a paramedic.' Instead, the veteran paramedic said she was fired on June 20 after she criticized Israel's bombing of Gaza and several countries, and accused the country of starving Palestinian children and killing health-care workers in a comment on a union social media post. The Regional Municipality of York said last month that officials launched an investigation into an employee's 'concerning comments on social media' on June 19, which led to a dismissal. Story continues below advertisement 'I think it's extremely unfortunate that we are here,' said Grzejszczak, who served on the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario's executive board. 'It's not a good time, it has been an extremely emotionally difficult time for me.' Grzejszczak told reporters that the comment she made was in line with her 'professional obligations' as a health worker. 'I love my job as a paramedic because it is first and foremost about preserving life and alleviating suffering,' she said, adding that calling for an end to 'a genocide is not a threat to public safety, it is public safety.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I really hope that I'm soon reinstated so that I can continue using my life saving skills to serve the residents of York Region,' she said at a news conference, surrounded by supporters and union members. Her dismissal has triggered concern among free speech advocates and lawyers who say it was a violation of Grzejszczak's Charter rights. 'Whether one agrees or disagrees with the content of her Facebook post, she was exercising her Charter-protected right to freedom of expression,' Daniel Paré, a senior fellow at the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, said at the press conference. He called on York Region to reinstate Grzejszczak, who has been a paramedic since 2010. Story continues below advertisement 'She is to be judged on whether she meets her professional standards of care, not her political beliefs,' Paré said. 'And let's be clear, there has been no suggestion that Katherine's political beliefs have ever resulted in any inappropriate treatment of any patient.' Reached for comment Thursday, a spokesperson for the Regional Municipality of York forwarded the statement originally issued in June about an employee's 'concerning comments.' Patrick Casey also said 'there is no change from York Region since the matter was initially addressed.' Krista Laing, the chair of CUPE Ontario Municipal Workers, said the entire process of firing Grzejszczak took less than 48 hours, and alleged there was no proper investigation. She said the decision sets a precedent that should worry workers across the province, and CUPE will continue to fight for her reinstatement. The Centre for Free Expression says it has seen an increase in the number of people being penalized for expressing their political views since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The latest war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took roughly 250 hostages. Gaza's Health Ministry said earlier this week that the war's toll among Palestinians had surpassed 60,000. The ministry, which operates under the Hamas government, doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians in its count, but has said that more than half of the dead are women and children. Story continues below advertisement The United Nations and other independent experts view its figures as the most reliable count of casualties. Israel has disputed the figures, saying it only targets militants and it blames civilian deaths on Hamas. –With files from The Associated Press
CBC
31-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
York Region paramedic fired over Israel comments speaks out, wants to know if politicians played role
Social Sharing A York Region paramedic who says she was fired over a social media comment that criticized Israel's military actions in Gaza says she wants to know whether politicians were behind her termination. Katherine Grzejszczak said she loves her job, and the comment she made was in line with her "professional obligations" as a paramedic to call for an end to human suffering and for the preservation of life. "What is hateful is the actions of the Israeli state towards Palestinians, not my descriptions of them," Grzejszczak said at a news conference on Thursday. The veteran paramedic, who was also a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario's executive board, was fired on June 20 after an online comment that criticized Israel's bombing of Gaza and several countries, and accused the country of starving Palestinian children and killing health-care workers. "In the last two years, Israel has bombed Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria and now Iran. They have been occupying Palestine for 75+ years. They are luring starving Palestinian children to their concentration camp food aid depots so they can snipe them dead," Grzejszczak posted on Facebook on June 19. "Any union or other organization that doesn't fight this is choosing to stay silent during genocide." Israel has repeatedly rejected allegations of genocide, saying it has respected international law and has a right to defend itself after the cross-border Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. Union chair says politicians 'thought it was OK to interfere' Last month, Vaughan Coun. Gila Martow posted on social media that she contacted Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca after seeing Grzejszczak's post. "On Friday, June 20, I was made aware of a paramedic employed by York Region who had allegedly posted a hateful message on social media," Martow posted on Facebook on June 22. "Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca immediately reached out to the chair of York Region with the community's concerns. The matter was investigated, and we have received confirmation that the individual is no longer employed by York Region." CBC Toronto reached out to Martow and Del Duca for comment, but hasn't yet heard back. Grzejszczak's dismissal triggered concern among free speech advocates and lawyers, who said it was a violation of her Charter-protected right to freedom of expression. She was joined by supporters at Thursday's news conference, where some said she was fired because the politicians didn't like her opinion. "It took less than 48 hours for York Region to fire Katherine at the request of politicians, who thought it was OK to interfere in personnel matters. Since when do politicians get to fire municipal workers?" said Krista Laing, the chair of CUPE Ontario Municipal Workers. Grzejszczak could be in limbo for years: union Mary Unan, a spokesperson for CUPE, told CBC Toronto on Thursday that the union filed a grievance on Grzejszczak's behalf earlier this month seeking to reinstate her role and claiming wrongful termination. Unan said the union had a meeting with York Region last week, which had until Tuesday to respond but denied the grievance. Unan said the union will now begin arbitration with the region, but that could take years – leaving Grzejszczak in limbo. Grzejszczak said she wants to understand what role politicians played in her termination. "I expect that through the arbitration process, when we get disclosure of all of the documents related to my termination, that we will have a better sense of what role was played by those politicians and the decision to terminate," she said at the news conference. An employment lawyer said York Region has every right to discipline or dismiss an employee who violates its internal policies, and terminations based on employees' comments on personal social media accounts are very common. "People's behaviour on social media is not immune from workplace consequences," Daniel Lublin told CBC Toronto. "Employers have the right to discipline or dismiss employees for what happens on their own personal time on their own social media accounts." Public safety is of 'utmost importance': region A spokesperson for York Region did not answer whether Grzejszczak violated a specific policy or specify how her posts could affect public safety. "Maintaining public safety and confidence is of utmost importance to York Region," Patrick Casey said in a statement Thursday. "York Region remains committed to fostering welcoming and inclusive communities, as affirmed by the Inclusion Charter for York Region."
Hamilton Spectator
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Ontario paramedic fired for criticizing Israel on social media hopes to be reinstated
A York Region paramedic who says she was fired over a Facebook comment that criticized Israel's military actions in the Middle East says she is hoping to be reinstated soon. Katherine Grzejszczak says she loves her job and the comment she made was in line with her 'professional obligations' as a paramedic to call for an end to human suffering and for preservation of life. The veteran paramedic was fired on June 20 after writing a comment that criticized Israel's bombing of Gaza and several countries, and accused the country of starving Palestinian children and killing health-care workers. Her dismissal triggered concern among free speech advocates and lawyers who say it was a violation of Grzejszczak's Charter-protected right to freedom of expression. Grzejszczak, who was also a member of Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario's executive board, says she is going through a difficult time as she waits for the outcome of a grievance the union filed on her behalf. A spokesperson for the Regional Municipality of York says nothing has changed 'since the matter was initially addressed' with the employee. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ontario paramedic fired for criticizing Israel on social media hopes to be reinstated
A York Region paramedic who says she was fired over a Facebook comment that criticized Israel's military actions in the Middle East says she is hoping to be reinstated soon. Katherine Grzejszczak says she loves her job and the comment she made was in line with her 'professional obligations' as a paramedic to call for an end to human suffering and for preservation of life. The veteran paramedic was fired on June 20 after writing a comment that criticized Israel's bombing of Gaza and several countries, and accused the country of starving Palestinian children and killing health-care workers. Her dismissal triggered concern among free speech advocates and lawyers who say it was a violation of Grzejszczak's Charter-protected right to freedom of expression. Grzejszczak, who was also a member of Canadian Union of Public Employees Ontario's executive board, says she is going through a difficult time as she waits for the outcome of a grievance the union filed on her behalf. A spokesperson for the Regional Municipality of York says nothing has changed 'since the matter was initially addressed' with the employee. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 31, 2025.
Business Wire
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Wire
MEDIA ADVISORY: Fired by York Region for Her Anti-War Facebook Comment, Paramedic and Supporters Share Updates, Issues Around Her Fight for Reinstatement
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Thursday morning, paramedic Katherine Grzejszczak – fired last month by York Region for her Facebook comment in support of an anti-war rally – will provide an update and background to her fight to get her job back. She will be joined by a group of supporters who will share insights into what Grzejszczak's termination means for workers' freedom of expression and political interference in the workplace. WHAT Update on the firing of York Region paramedic Katherine Grzejszczak and statements from supporters WHO Katherine Grzejszczak, paramedic terminated by York Region and member of CUPE Ontario's Executive Board Krista Laing, Chair, CUPE Ontario Municipal Workers Anna Lippman, Independent Jewish Voices Pamela Arancibia, Labour for Palestine Daniel Paré, Centre for Free Expression Basel Daoud, Heath Care Workers Alliance for Palestine WHEN WHERE United Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St, Toronto M5T 1N1 and via Zoom – see below for details Expand
