Defiant Fred Hahn says he won’t step down as CUPE Ontario VP amid antisemitism allegations

A defiant Fred Hahn says he won’t step down as Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario vice-president amid mounting pressure to relinquish his position over antisemitism allegations.

In a new statement issued on Thursday, Hahn rejected those allegations and maintained he would remain in his position.

“With all the accusations online, attacks by Premier Doug Ford and media reports that the CUPE National Executive Board have asked me to resign from our National Board, I knew I needed to write you directly about the situation,” he said.

“I want to be clear – I utterly reject the charge of antisemitism; anyone who knows and works with me knows it to be a lie. It remains my strongly held view that it is a terrible mistake, and antisemitic, to conflate abhorrent actions by the state of Israel with Jewish humanity or identity.”

“I have always had faith in the members of CUPE Ontario and been proud of the faith they placed in me by repeatedly, and democratically, electing me at both the provincial and national level. There is much work to be done – and because I respect the democracy of our union, the choice of our members, I will be here to continue to fight side by side with all of you.”

The statement comes a day after Ontario Premier Doug Ford urged CUPE Ontario to get rid of Hahn.

Ford called Hahn a “bully” and a “disgusting human being” after he shared a post on his Facebook account earlier this month that’s been called antisemitic by disillusioned Jewish union members.

The post, which has since been deleted, depicted a Jewish Olympic diver with a Star of David on his arm jumping off a diving board. As he’s heading towards the water he transforms into a bomb that explodes on innocent civilians below.

Hahn has since posted an apology, saying he “deeply” regretted sharing it, but maintaining it wasn’t an indictment of Jewish people.

Ford disagreed.

“I’m getting messages on my phone from CUPE members saying his comments have been disgusting. In my opinion, he’s a disgusting human being anyways,” said Ford while also encouraging CUPE Canada to discipline Hahn and members to vote him out at the next possible chance.

On Thursday, CUPE said its decision to ask for Hahn’s resignation has nothing to do with Ford’s attack and that the premier should focus on issues within his government, calling the premier’s comments about Hahn “revolting and unacceptable.”

“We do not take advice from a union-hating, public service-gutting Premier trying to distract from his own scandals and track record,” read the union’s statement. “Doug Ford and his ministers can concentrate on re-opening the rural ERs they have closed, funding the public schools they continue to neglect, addressing their Greenbelt scandal, and reversing their decision to give public land in Toronto to a private mega-spa no one wants.”

The union went on to say that the decision to ask for Hahn’s resignation does not negate his “lifelong commitment to CUPE members and union activism.”

“To suggest that asking for Fred’s resignation as a (General Vice President) is to throw in with those who support the genocide in Gaza, or is in response to a conservative Premier’s bullying, is frankly ludicrous.”

An online letter-writing petition has seen more than 48,000 letters in support of Hahn sent to CUPE.