Espousing Antisemitism From a Position of Authority

"Your points are all correct but stop wasting energy explaining this to zios. They stand proudly with a rape and torture state, and despite their fake tears about their bastardized version of racism and discrimination, they're not worth the effort."

"Zios trying to weaponize DEI language to shill for a rape and torture state is very funny btw."

"I'll say Jim Crow Jewish supremacists from now on, which more accurately describes you [pro-Israel union member]."

"It's time for the international community to civilize Israel and unions can play a role like they did in ending South African apartheid or in forcing Truth and Reconciliation for the Canadian genocide." 

"Oh, and people don't find your racial supremacy cute or inspiring, you Jim Crow hacks. Good luck doing genocide and apartheid without Western empires entirely backing your stupid little sectarian project."

Canadian Association of Professional Employees union president Nathan Prier

Canadian Association of Professional Employees president Nathan Prier said, the conflict in Gaza "is a deeply emotional issue" for him. Photo by JULIE OLIVER /Postmedia

 

CAPE member Jackie Luffman filed a complaint against her union's president arguing he has made use of social media to "harass, slander and defame Jewish CAPE members". Prier, the complaint attests, produced a "sockpuppet account" on Reddit presenting as a third-party account but in fact was manipulated to rally support for his own user posts. Prier shared an article on the "Canada-PublicServants" community where he was quoted advancing unions' calls to divest from Tesla. 

 

Prier, a federal economist with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, was identified by Reddit moderators alerted to suspicious behaviour in the forum, pinning a note to the post with the explanation that his fake account had been "deleted after Mr. Prier was challenged on his deception". 

 

The complaint lodged by Ms. Luffman detailed controversial statements made by Prier about Jews and Israel on the anonymous account, most of the comments posted on CAPE's unofficial Reddit page -- "USS_CAPE" -- with its 80,000 users in back-and-forth debates on the channel in late 2024 with other union members. Many of his posts rampant with "Zios" references. Prier on his anonymous account stated that CAPE should commit to a defining role played in global affairs. 

 

The man also argued against the International Holocaust Remember Alliance working definition of antisemitism which deems the comparison of Jews or Israel to Nazis, along with classic tropes of Jewish control of finance, as antisemitic.  

"Gaza is like the Warsaw Ghetto [there, I've violated IHRA]."

"What's happening in Israel and Palestine is a deeply emotional issue for many people, including me. [I've] always been clear that I believe in justice for Palestinians and fighting antisemitism. I support a peaceful resolution to the war in Gaza."

"My comments on Reddit were posted to a personal account and reflect my personal beliefs. I was not speaking as the President of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees."

 CAPE president Nathan Prier 

 CAPE's senior communications adviser commented that the union had nothing to say on internal matters involving members or staff: "All complaints are handled in accordance with applicable laws and internal  policies which are designed to ensure confidentiality and fairness."

 

The complaint argues that Prier's conduct violated CAPE's Code of Ethics for Elected or Appointed Officers, in particular bylaws addressing harassment and slander. And with that the complainant Ms. Luffman argues for Prier's resignation on the basis that his "statements exemplify a distorted and racist view of Jews and the national movement with which the vast majority of them in Canada identify." He "denies legitimacy to the Jewish people, uses derogatory language to depict Jews as supremacists, echoes tropes of Jewish control or dominance, makes comparisons of Jews confined in the Warsaw Ghetto to Israeli policy, and crosses the line from critique to vilification." 

 

The Canadian Association of Professional Employees is Canada's third-largest federal public service union, representing over 20,000 members. Union member Jacki Luffman has hopes that her complaint will lead to an external investigation. On the other hand, she views Prier's behaviour as a reflection of a pattern within CAPE where antisemitism flourishes as it does openly now in other public service unions within a Canada that has rediscovered its penchant for promoting antisemitism while denying any such thing.   

"The use of antisemitic tropes and hostile language by Nathan Prier raises serious questions about fitness to represent a diverse union membership and alignment with the Public Service Code of Values and Ethics."

"The fact that he is using a hidden identity speaks to [a] lack of transparency at a minimum... In brief, if accountability has any meaning, Nathan Prier should resign from his position."

Richard Marceau, general counsel, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs