Photo: Aminah Sheikh, Vice President of the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU), speaks in support of the resolution at the Unifor convention. Photo by Laura Avalos.
The Unifor Constitutional Convention in Vancouver has just passed a resolution that endorses “the call by Palestinian trade union for an arms embargo on Israel”.
This Instagram post highlights: “The resolution was introduced by the Canadian Freelance Union, a Unifor community chapter and Local 2025, representing union staff. It follows a recent report released by the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM) and members of the Arms Embargo Now (AEN) coalition.”
The full text of the resolution states:
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Resolution No. 14 – Support Palestinian Trade Unions and Palestinian Workers
UNIFOR WILL:
Work with Global Union Federation partners, national and international unions and other allied organizations and coalitions to support Palestinian Trade Unions and Palestinian workers who are affected by the ongoing genocide.
Endorse the call by Palestinian trade unions for an arms embargo on Israel.
Educate members on issues impacting Palestinians, including how to combat Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism, and antisemitism through Unifor’s Education program.
Continue to demand a permanent ceasefire, sustainable peace and end to the occupation of Palestinian territories.
BECAUSE:
Unifor has endorsed the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS), and is committed to human rights and international solidarity.
Unifor has endorsed the Palestinian civil society call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) at its 2017 Canada Council; and
Unifor is committed to human rights and international solidarity; and
As trade unionists, we must stand in solidarity with Palestinian trade unions.
International legal rulings have declared Israel’s occupation of Palestine (including the West Bank and East Jerusalem) to be a violation of laws that obligates governments to prevent, prohibit, and eradicate racial segregation and apartheid.
Respectfully submitted by Local 2025 and the Canadian Freelance Union
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This resolution passed on August 26 follows this letter from Unifor National President Lana Payne to Canadian prime minister Mark Carney on June 25 that states: “Prime Minister, we call on your government to fulfil Canada’s obligations under domestic and international law and suspend exports to Israel of any and all arms and military equipment manufactured in Canada. Canada’s participation in a global arms embargo on Israel is the only reasonable course of action to end the genocide in Palestine.”
As noted on their website: “Unifor is Canada’s largest private sector union, with more than 320,000 members across the country, working in every major sector of the Canadian economy.”
As a signatory to the Arms Embargo Now demand for a “a full, immediate arms embargo on Israel” and a partner that receives the support of the Unifor Social Justice Fund, Peace Brigades International-Canada welcomes this resolution.
According to Government of Canada figures, Canada exported $30,641,495.83 of military goods to Israel in 2023 and $18,906,035.86 in 2024. On July 4, 2025, The Maple reported: “Data from Global Affairs Canada (GAC) shows that in February the Liberal government authorized two new military export permits to Israel worth a combined total of $37.2 million.” These figures do not include other “military goods”, including the crucial components for F-35 fighter jets, that are indirectly exported from Canada to Israel via the United States.
While the actual numbers are likely much higher, we note that at least 31 Palestinian human rights defenders (documented by Front Line Defenders) and 189 Palestinian journalists and media workers (Committee to Protect Journalists) are among the more than 62,000 Palestinians killed by Israel over the past 22 months.
