Take a look through this brief summary of Union Resolutions in support of BDS. This does not include all Union Resolutions or statements, but highlights some key instances of BDS support. If you would like specific information added, email info@bdscoalition.ca
May 2006
CUPE Ontario
“This resolution was brought forward as part of a global campaign calling for the boycott,
divestment and sanctions on the state of Israel until it ceased: expanding on the Palestinian lands it has occupied since 1967, prohibiting Palestinian freedom of movement and access to earning a livelihood, and undermining Palestinian self-determination.” The Resolution mandated:
- With Palestine solidarity and human rights organizations, develop an education campaign about the apartheid nature of the Israeli and the political and economic support of Canada for these practices.
- Support the international campaign of boycott, divestment and sanctions until Israel meets its obligation to recognize the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and fully complies with the precepts of international law including the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
- Call on CUPE National to commit to research into Canadian involvement in the occupation and call on the CLC to join us in lobbying against the apartheid-like practices of the Israeli state and call for the immediate dismantling of the wall.
June 2007
Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec
October 2007
Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante
April 2008
Canadian Union of Postal Workers
June 2009
Centrale des syndicats du Québec
200,000 members including:
- Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance du Québec (FIPEQ)
- Fédération des professionnelles et professionnels de l’éducation du Québec (CSQ)
- Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE)
- Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (CSQ)
- Fédération du personnel de l’enseignement privé (CSQ)
- Fédération des enseignantes et enseignants de cégep (FEC-CSQ)
- Fédération du personnel professionnel des collèges (CSQ)
- Fédération du personnel de soutien de l’enseignement supérieur (FPSES)
- Fédération des syndicats de la santé et des services sociaux (CSQ)
- Fédération de la santé du Québec (FSQ)
2009
College and University Workers United
May 2010
Conseil central du Montréal métropolitain de la confédération des syndicats nationaux
June 2009
Centrale des syndicats du Québec
200,000 members including:
- Association des retraitées et retraités de l’éducation et des autres services publics du Québec (CSQ)
- Fédération des professionnelles et professionnels de l’éducation du Québec (CSQ)
- Fédération des syndicats de l’enseignement (FSE)
- Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (CSQ)
- Fédération du personnel de l’enseignement privé (CSQ)
- Fédération des enseignantes et enseignants de cégep (FEC-CSQ)
- Fédération du personnel professionnel des collèges (CSQ)
- Fédération du personnel de soutien de l’enseignement supérieur (FPSES)
- Fédération des syndicats de la santé et des services sociaux (CSQ)
- Fédération de la santé du Québec (FSQ)
- Fédération des intervenantes en petite enfance du Québec (FIPEQ)
2012
Public Service Alliance of Canada
August 2014
Canadian Federation of Students — Ontario
April 2015
Confédération des syndicats nationaux
325,000 members including:
- Syndicat des agents correctionnels du Canada (UCCO–SACC–CSN)
- CSN-Construction
- Fédération du commerce (FC)
- Fédération des employées et employés de services publics (FEESP)
- Fédération de l’industrie manufacturière (FIM)
- Fédération nationale des communications (FNC)
- Fédération nationale des enseignantes et enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ)
- Fédération des professionèles (FP)
- Fédération de la santé et des services sociaux (FSSS)
August 2017
Unifor
November 2018
Canadian Federation of Students
“At the November 2018 National General Meeting, members of the Canadian Federation of Students voted to endorse the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in solidarity with Palestinian Human Rights advocates. In passing this motion, the Federation reaffirm[ed] its support of the Palestinian cause and peoples, and pledge[d] to support Palestine solidarity organizations on a case-by-case basis. It will also support member locals in launching weapons divestment campaigns and exploring and implementing existing BDS campaigns and organizing resources.”
2021
Centre International De Solidarité Ouvrière
coalition of more than 60 Québec trade unions and civil society organizations, including:
- Alliance du personnel professionnel et technique du secteur public de la santé et des services (APTS)
- Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)
- Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
- Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ)
- Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ)
June 2021
Canadian Council of CLC
In June 2021, a emergency resolution was unanimously passed by the Canadian Council of CLC during its #CLC2021 session and calls on @CanadianLabour to work with global unions, affiliates and civil society on urgent campaign to stop Israel’s ethnic cleansing of #Palestinians#canlab#cdnpoli
February 2022
University of Toronto Students’ Union
The University of Toronto Students’ Union represents more than 38,000 full-time undergraduate students at the University of Toronto St. George Campus. UTSU voted to divest (299 in favour – 143 against).
June 2022
Ontario Federation of Labour
In June 2022 the Ontario Federation of Labour published a statement on international solidarity, which notes that it passed resolutions in support of a ban on settlement goods, divestment from Israeli military companies, and calling on Canada to halt arms sales to Israel, among other measures.
June 2023
CUPE Manitoba
At the May 17-19 convention of CUPE Manitoba, the membership voted to adopt a resolution that calls on the division to support the BDS Campaign to end the oppression of Palestinians. The resolution was put forward by the “Contracting Out & Political Action” committee. It’s a resolution that also recognized the Israeli state’s settler-colonialism, apartheid, and violations of International law against the Palestinian people.
October 2023
CUPE National and CUPE Ontario
Emergency Resolution 804
June 2024
Nanaimo District Teachers’ Association
April 2024
CUPE BC
July 2024
OPSEU
In July 2024, OPSEU/SEFPO joined other unions in advocating for the BDS campaign against Israel’s apartheid.
November 2024
Canadian Association of Professional Employees
August 2025
Unifor
Unifor, which represents over 320,000 workers across the country, passed a resolution framed explicitly through the lens of labour solidarity by endorsing “the call by Palestinian trade union for an arms embargo on Israel” during its 5-day Unifor Constitutional Convention in Vancouver. The resolution, passed in support of direct calls from Palestinian workers and their unions, commits Unifor to lobby the federal government for an “immediate two-way arms and military equipment embargo on Israel.”
The resolution was brought forth “by the Canadian Freelance Union, a Unifor community chapter and Local 2025, representing union staff.
November 2025
Ontario Federation of Labour
The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), during its 18th Biennial Convention in Toronto, has passed and adopted a number of resolutions in support of Palestine. Amongst them is the resolution on “Hot Cargo and Israel” which had called on “the OFL [to] declare, and call on the Canadian Labour Congress to declare, trade, services, and relationships with Israel to be ‘hot cargo’ and cut ties with the Histadrut” and that “the OFL endorse the Arms Embargo Now campaign with relevant unions to declare arms shipments to Israel “hot cargo” not to be touched by workers of conscience.”
Also passed was a resolution on pension fund divestment from “Israel-linked investments” as well as a resolution “on the rise in anti-Palestinian racism in the workplace” resolving that the OFL “affirms that harassment and discrimination against Palestinians, anti-Palestinian racism, and the targeting of anti-war activists will not be tolerated within the OFL, our affiliated unions, workplaces, or communities” and that “the OFL work with the Canadian Labour Congress and affiliated unions to defence workers facing discrimination, disproportionate discipline, or wrongful dismissal as a result of anti-Palestinian racism or activism in support of Palestinian human rights.