Calls of Solidarity

Canadian Labour & Calls for Solidarity with Palestinian Teachers​

See  General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT) Call for Solidarity

 

The Ontario Federation of Labour, Canada’s largest provincial labour federation representing over one million workers, recognizes what is happening in Gaza for what it is: genocide. At their 2025 convention, OFL passed the following motion:

THE OFL WILL: 

  • Develop expertise to help research, advise and guide affiliated unions on the divestment within their pension funds from Israel-linked investments, all direct and indirect holdings in entities that manufacture or distribute arms, ammunition, implements or munitions of war, as well as companies engaged in activities that support or sustain Israel’s illegal occupation.

  • Compile these learnings into materials and resources available to affiliates and members.

BECAUSE: 

  • Pension funds should not be invested in entities complicit in human rights violations.

  • Six Canadian public pension funds have invested at least USD$1.6 billion in companies and arms manufacturers supporting Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

  • These public pension funds investments speaks to an ever-widening gap between workers who contribute to these funds and the investors who decide where to invest them.

At this same convention in November 2025, The OFL also passed another resolution declaring trade relationships and services with Israel to be “hot cargo” that workers will not touch.  “Hot cargo” is used to define goods that workers will not handle due to its association with exploitation and oppression. (Rabble.ca)

For more on the Hot Cargo Kills Campaign visit Labour4Palestine’s website.

 

Canadian Labour Congress supports a two way arms embargo.

 

The New Brunswick Federation of Labour (NBFL) has passed a “hot cargo” resolution calling for all 35,000 of its members to refuse the handling of arms shipments bound for Israel, and for a national arms embargo.

 

Educational International (EI), has launched a call for solidarity for The General Union of Palestinian Teachers (GUPT), the General Union of Workers in Kindergartons and Private Schools (GUWKPS) and the Palestinian Federation of Unions of University Professors and Employees (PFUUPE). The Ontario Teacher’s Federation (OTF) is an EI member through membership with the Canadian Teacher’s Federation (CTF).

 

In June 2025, OSSTF Toronto Teachers’ Council voted overwhelmingly to urge OTPP to divest from “any company that manufactures weapons used by the Israeli government in its assault on Gaza, as well as any company profiting from armed conflict anywhere in the world.”

 

In June 2024 OSSTF D19 & D12 unanimously passed the following motion:

BIRT the OSSTF District 12 TTBU Executive takes the following actions:

  1. Write a letter to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board of Directors urging them to:

           a) Divest from any company that manufactures weapons used by the Israeli government in its assault on Gaza, as well any company   profiting from armed conflict anywhere in the world,

           b) Review and amend its policies to ensure that such investments do not occur in the future.

              2,  Send a copy of this letter to the membership via an all-member email

              3.  Send a copy of the letter to the 30 OTF Board of Governors” 

 

Motion passed from ETFO (exec council):

That ETFO write to the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan urging them to divest from any company profiting from any armed conflict, including the war in Gaza, and to review and amend its ESG* and reputational filters ensuring such investments not occur in the future. ETFO will copy the Ontario Teachers’ Federation on the letter. 

ETT Motion:

That ETT work with allies in labour/community groups to:

Provide support and resources for teachers to educate about major conflicts, humanitarian values, and the importance of human rights.

Show solidarity with Palestinian people and advocate for their rights.

Educate members about our pension plan investments in response to Palestinian labour requests. 

 

ARMS EMBARGO NOW In July 2025 Arms Embargo Now released a report uncovering hundreds of weapons shipments from Canada to Israel.