Dear CUPE 3903 Members,
We are writing this statement to address a matter that demands our collective attention and accountability. This matter has come to deeply affect the safety and reputation of two of our members, as well as the integrity of our community. Those two members have asked to be named in this statement, though we will not disclose other identities given the sensitivity of this issue and our desire to protect members’ rights to privacy.
Following a member’s statement at a public union event, concerns were raised by two other members of our community, both of whom are racialized. These concerns were valid and raised appropriately by Keisha Bell and Mahyar Mohaghegh. Since then, the situation has escalated. One party’s continued responses have included repeated public allegations and communications (both within and beyond our Union), making personal and unfounded claims against Keisha and Mahyar. Conduct perceived as retaliatory is unacceptable, especially when it disproportionately affects racialized members.
The weaponization of unfounded claims has caused significant distress to those two members and has contributed to an unsafe and hostile environment, including but not limited to potential damage to their job prospects within and beyond the academy. Both Keisha and Mahyar are known by many of us to be extremely principled activists within and beyond our Union. We are issuing this statement to state publicly and in no uncertain terms that as the Executive Committee, we support them.
We recognize the importance of dialogue and accountability within any organization. But these must be pursued in good faith, with mutual respect, and they must bear in mind all members’ rights to privacy and confidentiality. What we are witnessing in this instance is not a difference of opinion—it is a pattern of behaviour that undermines the trust that our community depends on to fight against larger social and economic threats. In times like these, we ought to recommit ourselves to the principles of equity and care that guide our work. We ask all members to reject harmful conduct and to reaffirm our shared commitment to respectful and principled engagement within and beyond our union spaces.
As your elected Executive Committee, we are actively reviewing this matter following our internal policies. While we cannot discuss individual disciplinary measures, we can assure our members that we are treating this with the seriousness it deserves, and we welcome the input of members to work towards deepening the meaning and application of our Equity Statement. As we continue to take appropriate steps to support the members affected and to uphold the values we claim as a community grounded in mutual respect and justice, we also recognize that the mechanisms and supports for members that currently exist in our Union have fallen short in these circumstances, and that we need to build better ways to prevent harm and to address it when it occurs.
In solidarity,
Zoë Newman, Chairperson
on behalf of the Executive of CUPE 3903