April 24, 2026 at 4:15 PM
A union is, by definition, a commitment to solidarity. It is one organization, one membership, and one shared responsibility to treat each other with dignity. Every member and representative is entitled to a workplace and union environment that is free from harassment, intimidation, and incivility, whether in the workplace, at union functions, or online. Unifor’s harassment policy reflects these expectations clearly and we do not excuse conduct that targets or demeans others, and we each have a duty to take reasonable steps to stop behaviours that undermine respect and unity.
For union representatives, the union is our workplace. Our conduct, including what we share online, reflects on all of us. Recent content that is circulating online and in instant messaging apps depicts violence, and in this case it can be construed as a show of violence against women, has no place in our union culture or in any election campaign. Portraying what is contextually weapons, threats, or aggressive confrontation is not “political,” it is harmful, it erodes trust, and it contradicts everything we stand for.
Political campaigns should be fought on ideas, record, and vision – not on intimidation or imagery that normalizes violence. We call on all members to reject and denounce this content, to remove it where it has been shared, and to recommit – publicly and personally – to respectful debate that strengthens solidarity, rather than fractures it.
Unifor’s harassment policy and video state plainly that we must end behaviours that threaten the bonds of solidarity. Members should feel respected and free from harassment, including within our own union, and everyone has a responsibility to take every reasonable step to stop and prevent harmful conduct.
That policy is what Unifor, and Unifor Local 2002, stands for in our daily work and in our union work. When anyone laughs at, shares, or condones violent imagery, even as a “meme”, it signals acceptance of behaviour that we should be confronting. It undermines the meaning of “union” and the solidarity we depend on, and it is unacceptable in any context, including an election campaign.
Yes, elections can get messy, but they must never cross the line into intimidation or the normalization of violence. Win on the merits of the candidate and their campaign, not on depictions that harm others or divide members. We are one union, one membership, and we owe each other a culture of respect.
In Solidarity
Kim Driedger
National Human Rights Coordinator
Sylvie Schmitt
National Health and Safety Coordinator
Tracey Potter
National Grievance Coordinator
Aviva Atlani
Employee Assistance Program Coordinator
26-04-26 Message re conduct and elections EN.txt