Paramedic fired for Facebook comment criticizing Israel: CUPE

York Region’s paramedics union is criticizing the regional municipality for allegedly firing a union representative over a social media comment regarding Israel military action.

The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) said that paramedic and local 4900 member Katherine Grzejszczak was fired recently for a Facebook post, according to a news release.

The union alleges she was fired on June 20 after being questioned about making a Facebook comment critical of Israel’s bombing of neighbouring countries, occupying Palestine and saying the country is committing genocide. CUPE’s board is calling for her reinstatement.

“Katherine is a strong, brave and principled CUPE member who was elected democratically by fellow CUPE Ontario members to be a leader in our union,” CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn said in the news release.

“She is also someone whose life’s work is saving others from harm, and yet she’s being punished for using her voice to oppose the mass harm of others.”

According to CUPE, the Facebook comment came in response to an anti-war rally happening in Toronto.

In the comment, Grzejszczak said Israel has bombed multiple neighbours in the past two years and has occupied Palestine for more than 75 years. She also said the country is “luring starving Palestinian children to their concentration camp food aid depots so they can snipe them dead.”

“Any union or other organization that doesn’t fight this is choosing to stay silent during genocide,” Grzejszczak said in the comment. 

Asked to respond to CUPE’s news release, York Region director of corporate communications Patrick Casey said the region became aware “of an employee allegedly posting concerning comments on social media” on June 19 and promptly investigated.

“Maintaining public safety and confidence is of utmost importance to York Region,” Casey said. “The employee is no longer employed with the Regional Municipality of York. York Region remains committed to fostering welcoming and inclusive communities, as affirmed by the Inclusion Charter for York Region. We remain committed to a welcoming and inclusive community where diversity is celebrated and where everyone can develop to their full potential.”

Whether Israel is committing genocide has been contested, however, some organizations like Amnesty International have argued that Israel’s offensive in Gaza — which followed the deadly Hamas terror attacks in Israel in October 2023 — has constituted genocide.

The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Gaza was unlawful. More recently, Gaza health authorities have alleged there has been instances of Israel’s military killing people trying to get food at aid sites.

Beyond this incident, Grzejszczak has regularly participated in York Region labour matters, such as helping to lead opposition to York Region enforcing a new back-to-the-office policy.

CUPE’s executive board said York Region’s actions are discriminatory treatment.

“This is about the Charter right of workers, as persons of conscience, to speak out against genocide and war,” Hahn said. “Katherine’s comment on Facebook aligns completely with CUPE Ontario’s longstanding, democratically decided anti-war principles.”

“To dedicate your professional life to emergency response and preserving life, and then to be fired for giving voice to opposition to an ongoing genocide, exposes chilling contradictions,” CUPE Ontario Secretary-Treasurer Yolanda McClean said in a news release. “It’s the inconsistent position of York Region Paramedic Services that makes no sense.”

NewmarketToday did not receive a reply to a request for comment from Grzejszczak before publication deadline. 

The National Post has previously reported that Grzejszczak had a Palestinian flag sticker on her laptop and put on a keffiyeh — a traditional Palestinian scarf — during an online union meeting in April 2024. The report said that this raised concern among some members, who said they felt their opposition was dismissed.