Calgary Jewish Federation opposes UFCW certifying CJA teachers for collective bargaining

by AJNews staff

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(AJNews) – On Oct. 30, Calgary Jewish Federation’s (CJF) board of directors sent a notice to the community explaining why they oppose a proposed certification of CJA teachers for unionization by the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union Local No. 401. It is our understanding that a group of teachers initiated the contact with the union some time ago to see if they were eligible for membership. Their specific reasons for seeking membership to a union have not been made public at this time.

Alberta Jewish News is seeking a statement from the CJA Board of Directors as well as a statement from a spokesperson representing teachers at the school. The CJA Board responded that “CJA, including the Board of Directors, is not in a position to comment on the current certification application affecting CJA staff at this time.” Alberta Jewish News will provide updates to this story as more information is made available.

It is currently unclear if the opposition by CJF is specific to the UFCW or if they would oppose membership in any collective bargaining union.  Meanwhile, here is the information that was sent to the Calgary Jewish Community by the Calgary Jewish Federation’s Board of Directors. Some sentences in the text below are emboldened. This is how they appear in the original CJF notice – emboldened by the CJF Board of Directors for emphasis.

To our Calgary Jewish Community:

It has come to our attention that the United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401 (“UFCW”) has applied to the Labour Relations Board of Alberta to certify for collective bargaining a group of teachers and other employees at The Calgary Jewish Academy (CJA), our largest Jewish day school.

As Calgary Jewish Federation, it is not our role to comment on the reasoning behind this application or any of the operations at the CJA. However, as the representatives of our broader Jewish community, we feel it is important to ensure Jewish Calgary is informed of this initiative as it may potentially have significant long-term impacts on our community.

The CJA, alongside Halpern Akiva Academy, is a cornerstone of our community. A place where many of us were, or still are parents of students, and where we take pride in the Jewish education our Jewish youth receive from dedicated teachers and administration. Calgary Jewish Federation fully supports the happiness and health of CJA’s staff at all levels, ensuring our community continues to have a highly successful community school. We also fully support the teachers and administration in ensuring their voices are heard and their choices respected.

However, it is important for our community to be aware of key facts that come with this Union. Multiple locals of the UFCW have been very vocal about their anti-Israel position. Such examples include publicly calling on the Canadian government to immediately suspend the trade of arms and military equipment with Israel, as well as calls for immediate ceasefire with no mention of Hamas or hostages, and webinars inviting union members “to hear the voices of Palestinian workers talking about the effects of Israel’s assault on Gaza”. Calgary Jewish Federation is very concerned about the introduction into the CJA of a union whose locals publicly express views that our incompatible with our community values.

Calgary Jewish Federation is proud of its support for the CJA. Currently, 40% of students at this school benefit from financial assistance from Calgary Jewish Federation’s Integrated Bursary Program, including a number of new families from Israel who have made the difficult decision to flee the war for the safety of our community. The current financial needs of our CJA family body are significant and growing.

As a community, we need both our Calgary Jewish day schools to continue to prosper in order for Jewish Calgary to thrive. Calgary Jewish Federation opposes the proposed certification of the UFCW. 

This communication is intended to inform our community of the lasting impact a union at the CJA may foreseeably have on our community. We are not able to comment on any of the union negotiations. We ask that any questions concerning this development are directed at The Calgary Jewish Academy in a respectful manner.

Thank you,

Board of Directors, Calgary Jewish Federation