Statement by Paul Moist, CUPE national president, on CUPE Ontario resolution

    OTTAWA, Jan. 13 /CNW Telbec/ - CUPE National would like to state its
position on the January 2, 2009 media release by CUPE Ontario announcing a
plan to introduce a resolution to ban Israeli academics from Ontario
universities unless they condemn the "assault on Gaza."
    As the national president of Canada's largest union, with over 580,000
members, I can say that none of CUPE's over 2,000 chartered bodies - including
CUPE Ontario - have adopted such a resolution. I believe such a resolution is
wrong and would violate the anti-discrimination standards set out in the CUPE
Constitution. I will be using my influence in any debates on such a resolution
to oppose its adoption.
    In a letter sent January 2, 2009 to Prime Minister Harper, I condemned
both the Hamas rocket attacks on Israel and the Israeli government's
disproportionate response. The death toll in the Middle East has climbed to
more than 900. CUPE National will continue to call upon Prime Minister Harper
to lend Canada's voice to the growing list of nations demanding peace in the
Middle East.
    The promotion of peace and international solidarity has been a hallmark
of CUPE's work since its founding 46 years ago. The events over the past weeks
in the Middle East are tragic and many innocent lives are being lost while the
world watches in disbelief.
    CUPE's national policy on the Middle East was fully debated and adopted
at our 2003 National Convention and reaffirmed at the 2007 National
Convention. That policy states that we:

    "Demand that the Israeli Government immediately withdraw from the
    occupied territories and abide by UN Resolutions 242 and 338;

    Call for and actively work towards an end to all acts of violence that
    take the lives of innocent people, whether they be Palestinian or
    Israeli; and,

    Help develop a peace process based on equality between Israelis and
    Palestinians and based on the implementation of United Nations
    resolutions and international law."

For further information: CUPE media relations, [phone]