Presentation by Labour for Palestine

2026

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Controlling the Workforce, Erasing the People

WHAT IS HOT CARGO?

• Response to a call for solidarity

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• A tradition of labour activism

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• HOT CARGO = Goods, services and relationships with Israel

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• Includes all public & private sectors

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Canada’s complicity: where are the workers?

• Canada/ Israel Free Trade Agreement (CIFTA)

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• Technology imports & government contracts (incl. military and defence)

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• Educational, cultural, sports & institutional partnerships

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• Charitable status recognition, diplomatic cover at UN & failure to prosecute Canadians participating in Genocide

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• Relations with the Histadrut, the Apartheid bosses’ union

Hot Cargo: Not Just Weapons

Examples:

• Sister city agreements with with municipalities in Canada & Israel
• Cote Saint-Luc, QC with Ashkelon
• Vaughan, ON with Ramle

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• Israeli wines in liquor stores in BC, ON, MB, & NB

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• Post-Secondary institutions in Canada have partnership agreements with Israeli institutions

Hot or Not?

Let’s take a look at some scenarios and decide if the goods, services or relationships are Hot Cargo or Not…

WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE…Argentina (1979)

July 3, 1979 - Longshoremen in New Brunswick refused to load a shipment of heavy water to Argentina to protest military repression and pressed for the release of Argentinian political prisoners.

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“We don’t care about our wages and we don’t care about the boss.

When your brothers and sisters are dying, there’s lines you don’t cross.”

No Hot Cargo for Argentina!

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WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE…South Africa (1986)

March 1986 - Unions in Canada take part in ‘Solidarity Week of Action’ against apartheid in South Africa

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• Over 30,000 workers in Canada boycotted South African goods and services after the global calls from the African National Congress (ANC)

• Organized by SACTU Solidarity Committee (SSC) which had been building support among workers in Canada for years

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…South Africa (1986)

Key actions by union members:

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• Refused to connect phone calls to South Africa.

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• Refused to sell airline tickets for flights bound for South Africa.

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• Refused to offload ships containing South African goods.

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• Refused to process or deliver mail with South African addresses.

WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE…Indonesia (1999)

September 1999 - Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) declared all goods from Indonesia “Hot Cargo.”

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• The CLC, in cooperation with the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) & its affiliates (ILWU & CUPW) implemented an international picket line.

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…Indonesia (1999)

Key actions:

• Declared all goods from Indonesia "Hot Cargo," & asked union members to refuse to handle shipments.
• Called for a general consumer boycott of Indonesian goods.
• Specifically asked dockworkers in ports like Vancouver to refuse shipments.

WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE…Iraq War (2003)

March 18, 2003 - SAINT JOHN, N.B. - Longshoremen declare any military cargo destined for the Middle East is "Hot Cargo"

• Local 273 of the International Longshoremen's Association refused to handle any military cargo destined for the Middle East
• Members considered the war against Iraq to be immoral & acted on it!

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Hot Cargo – actions we can take…

• Declarations by the labour movement 
• An agreement between a union & a unionized employer
• Contract language in a collective agreement�

Next steps…Take action

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• Find out where your workplace, sector, or union has connections and relationships with Israel

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• Pass union resolutions that include a Hot Cargo declaration

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• Education with your union about Palestine, the Hot Cargo Kills campaign & Canada’s complicity in the Genocide in Gaza

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• Contact info@labourforpalestine.com for information and support to take action

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Tell the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) to declare Israeli goods and services Hot Cargo!

Sign our petition

Targeting the Canadian Government

FOR MORE INFORMATION….

labourforpalestine.com

info@labourforpalestine.com

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