My Tyranny of Nice co-author writes:
Yet it’s not only our public sector unions. Last Saturday, some Steelworkers appear to have taken part in a second anti-Israel protest in Toronto. Anti-Israel protesters flying the United Steelworkers flag marched with anti-Israel protesters flying the Hezbollah flag (ironically both flags are the same shade of yellow), equating Jews with Nazis, and calling for the death of Jewish children.
Of course, I believe these union supporters should be free to so – the Steelworkers are, after all, a private sector union. But this is not the labour movement of my youth. I’ve walked the picket line in support of workers on several occasions. In my day, those who invoked antisemitic or neo-Nazi imagery would have been expelled from our ranks, and their actions condemned most vocally and unequivocally. Moreover, with Essar having given notice of impending layoffs, is this the best use of union time, money and resources?
