Canadian Labour Congress ends relations with Zionist Histadrut

Delegates to the convention of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) overwhelmingly voted to sever all ties with the Histadrut on May 14, ending a decades-old relationship with the Israel-based pro-Zionist association. 

As the Canadian group Labour for Palestine explained on its website: “Today, delegates at the CLC voted overwhelmingly in support of the amended resolution that calls on the CLC to cut ties with the Histadrut. In doing so, they voted to stand in solidarity with the workers, trade unions, and the people of Palestine and against Israeli occupation, apartheid, and genocide. The Histadrut is the so-called labor central that has been complicit in genocide and colonization in Palestine since the 1920s.” (LabourforPalestine.com, May 14)

The vote took place on the last day of the CLC’s four-day convention, which drew thousands of delegates from unions across Canada from a variety of sectors. This decision pushes back against the CLC leadership, which initially blocked any debate on “a resolution to declare all Israeli goods, services, and institutional relationships Hot Cargo.” 

However, Labour for Palestine members at the convention were able to bring an amended resolution to the floor. In addition to ending cooperation with the pro-genocide Histadrut, the resolution “calls on the Canadian government to support a two-way arms embargo, targeted sanctions on individuals for violations of international law, suspend the Canada-Israel Free Trade agreement, and support initiatives against antisemitism and anti-Palestinian racism.”

This vote has ramifications beyond Canada, as CLC members include U.S.-based unions such as the United Food and Commercial Workers, the Service Employees Union, the Amalgamated Transit Union and many others. CLC member unions represent over 3 million workers in Canada.