CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn loses national post after year of controversy
After a year of turmoil inside Canada’s largest public-sector union, CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn has lost his position as general vice-president at this week’s CUPE national convention.
By Melanie Bennet
After a year of turmoil inside Canada’s largest public-sector union, CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn has lost his position as general vice-president at this week’s CUPE national convention. The change comes following months of backlash over his anti-Israel rhetoric and his open endorsement of the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement.
The member backlash against Hahn began last year when a social-media video he posted spliced footage of an Israeli diver with a bomb striking Gaza. CUPE Local 5167 called the post “horrific and insensitive” and demanded his resignation, while CUPE National’s executive declared it had “lost confidence” in his leadership. Hahn refused to step down, insisting that criticism of Israel was being “falsely labeled antisemitic.”
Only weeks later, Hahn appeared at a Toronto anti-Israel rally outside the U.S. Consulate, reaffirming CUPE Ontario’s commitment to BDS and calling for the arrest of Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu. Reporters documented Taliban flags and posters glorifying Hamas leaders among the demonstrators—symbols the union never publicly condemned. Hahn claimed to be answering “calls from Palestinian trade unionists,” though CUPE Ontario declined to identify which unions he meant.
Twenty-five Jewish CUPE Ontario members have since filed a human-rights complaint alleging that Hahn’s rhetoric and activism created a hostile environment within the union.
At this week’s national convention, members rejected a BDS resolution and voted to strip Hahn of his national role. One delegate described the proceedings as “a disgusting s**t show,” saying geopolitics instead of workplace issues dominated the debate.
Analysis of the CUPE constitutional amendments and resolutions revealed that fewer than one in ten resolutions addressed the everyday concerns of members—issues such as wages, pensions, or workload. In contrast, roughly a third of the agenda was consumed by geopolitics and ideological campaigns.
According to the convention documents, resolutions promoting socialist policy, condemning capitalism, calling for Canada’s withdrawal from NATO, and endorsing the BDS movement against Israel far outnumbered those addressing bargaining or benefits. Another fifth focused on social-justice activism—anti-racism, gender identity, and climate policy—often framed through intersectional or decolonial language rather than workplace outcomes.
In total, ordinary labour priorities made up a fraction of the agenda, while ideological and foreign-policy debates dominated the floor.
Hahn remains president of CUPE Ontario until the May 2026 elections.
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