A criticism filed towards the Canadian Affiliation of Skilled Staff union president Nathan Prier on Monday argues he used social media to “harass, slander, and defame Jewish CAPE members,” in accordance with a doc obtained by Nationwide Put up.
The criticism filed with the union by member Jackie Luffman says that Prier made a “sockpuppet account” on Reddit, which publicly presents as a third-party account however is definitely manipulated by the consumer to rally help for their very own posts.
In April, Prier used his sockpuppet account to touch upon an article shared within the “CanadaPublicServants” Reddit group by which he was quoted talking concerning the want for unions to divest from Tesla. Reddit moderators recognized Prier — a federal economist with Innovation, Science and Financial Improvement Canada — after they have been alerted to suspicious behaviour within the discussion board, pinning a be aware to the publish explaining that his pretend account was “deleted after Mr. Prier was challenged on his deception.”
Prier confirmed to Nationwide Put up the nameless account was his.
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Luffman’s criticism particulars dozens of controversial statements Prier is alleged to have made about Jews and Israel on the nameless account. In response to the criticism, a lot of the feedback have been posted on CAPE’s unofficial Reddit web page — “USS_CAPE” — house to almost 80,000 customers, throughout back-and-forth debates on the channel with different union members in late 2024. The criticism says a lot of his posts are speckled with references to “Zios,” a phrase utilized by anti-Zionists to explain Zionists.
“Your factors are all appropriate however cease losing power explaining this to zios,” Prier reassures one consumer in a debate concerning the battle between Israel and Hamas in November 2024, “they stand proudly with a rape and torture state, and regardless of their pretend tears about their bastardized model of racism and discrimination, they’re not definitely worth the effort.”
“Zios making an attempt to weaponize DEI language to shill for a rape and torture state may be very humorous btw,” he wrote a couple of days later. The next day, he responded to 1 pro-Israel consumer: “I’ll say Jim Crow Jewish supremacists any longer, which extra precisely describes you.”
On the nameless account, Prier shares his views that CAPE ought to play a defining position in international affairs. Throughout a dialogue, he writes, “It’s time for the worldwide group to civilize Israel and unions can play a job like they did in ending South African apartheid or in forcing Reality and Reconciliation for the Canadian genocide.”
“Oh and other people don’t discover your racial supremacy cute or inspiring, you Jim Crow hacks,” he responds to 1 consumer a minute later.
Prier argues towards the Worldwide Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. The non-legally binding definition deems evaluating Jews or Israel to the Nazis and basic tropes of Jewish management of finance as antisemitic.
“Gaza is just like the Warsaw Ghetto (there I’ve violated IHRA),” he writes, taking purpose on the definition adopted by dozens of nations, the federal authorities and several other provinces.
Requested for remark, Prier wrote a brief assertion to the Put up acknowledging the now-deleted account was operated by him.
“What’s taking place in Israel and Palestine is a deeply emotional challenge for many individuals, together with me,” Prier wrote, including he’s “at all times been clear that I consider in justice for Palestinians and combating antisemitism. I help a peaceable decision to the battle in Gaza.”
“My feedback on Reddit have been posted to a private account and replicate my private beliefs. I used to be not talking because the President of the Canadian Affiliation of Skilled Staff.”
Laura Gauthier, the senior communications adviser of CAPE, stated the union wouldn’t touch upon inner issues involving members or employees.
“All complaints are dealt with in accordance with relevant legal guidelines and inner insurance policies, that are designed to make sure confidentiality and equity,” she stated in a be aware to the Put up.
Luffman’s criticism argues that Prier’s conduct violated CAPE’s Code of Ethics for Elected or Appointed Officers, particularly bylaws pertaining to harassment and slander. She is looking for Prier’s resignation, as a result of his “statements exemplify a distorted and racist view of Jews and the nationwide motion with which the overwhelming majority of them in Canada establish.”
She denounced Prier’s language as “horribly vile,” writing he “denies legitimacy to the Jewish folks, makes use of derogatory language to depict Jews as supremacists, echoes tropes of Jewish management or dominance, makes comparisons of Jews confined within the Warsaw Ghetto to Israeli coverage, and crosses the road from critique to vilification.”
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) echoed Luffman’s name, telling the Put up the group lacked confidence in Prier’s management to symbolize CAPE’s various constituency pretty.
“The usage of antisemitic tropes and hostile language by Nathan Prier raises critical questions on health to symbolize a various union membership and alignment with the Public Service Code of Values and Ethics,” CIJA normal counsel Richard Marceau wrote the Put up.
“The truth that he’s utilizing a hidden identification speaks to (a) lack of transparency at a minimal, but additionally to a totally unacceptable stage of dishonesty for somebody in such an vital place. In short, if accountability has any which means, Nathan Prier ought to resign from his place.”
Luffman stays hopeful her criticism will set off an exterior investigation, however sees Prier’s behaviour as a part of a troubling sample inside CAPE, the nation’s third-largest federal public service union representing over 20,000 members. In November 2023, Prier’s predecessor, Camille Awada,
resigned after anti-Israel social media posts
he allegedly made years earlier started circulating amongst union members.
“The European Zionists are the true Aryan race. They give the impression of being down on the world as if we’re cattle. Israel is the illegitimate Zionist terrorist apartheid state that’s the root of all evil!” Awada reportedly wrote on Fb in January 2019. A couple of days earlier, he reportedly referred to Israel as that “illegitimate Zionist lunatic terrorist apartheid state.”
Luffman obtained affirmation that her criticism was registered on Wednesday, however stated in a quick written remark she didn’t want to weigh in on the story because the investigation unfolds.
“I place confidence in the method and stay up for receiving the report from the third-party investigator,” she maintained.
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