Dennis McDermott, president of the Canadian Labor Federation (CLF), said he rejected a pro-PLO resolution overwhelmingly adopted at last week’s convention of the Ontario Federation of Labor (OFL) and that he was prepared to test the issue at the next meeting of the CLF’s executive council.
The OFL, which represents some 800,000 trade unionists, recognized the PLO as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. But the OFL’s president, Clifford Pilkey, later interpreted that endorsement as being conditional on the PLO’s recognition of Israel. McDermott denounced the PLO last July as a terrorist organization.
Meanwhile, Mira Koschitzky, chairperson of the Canadian Jewish Congress’ Ontario Region, sent a telegram to the OFL taking sharp issue with its recognition of the PLO. Koschitzky reminded the OFL that Israel is the only state in the Middle East with free trade unions.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
