The following motion was passed at the CUPE 3903 GMM on May 31, 2021:
Whereas, there is an ongoing ethnic cleansing against Indigenous Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, Silwan, and other neighborhoods across occupied Palestine.
Whereas, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) recently released a report concluding that Israel is an apartheid state and is guilty of crimes against humanity.
And, whereas, York University invests in arms manufacturers, namely: Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Amphenol, and Textron Inc.
Whereas, Amphenol is the main supplier of military and aerospace products to the Israeli army.
Whereas, Lockheed Martin supplies the Israeli army with F-16 fighter jets, and longbow hellfire missiles.
And, whereas, the ‘Head-Up Displays (HUD) and BAE systems support the F-16 fighter jets.
Whereas, Northrop Grumman supplies attack helicopters and fighter jets to the Israeli regime, such as the Apache AH64-D Longbow helicopter.
And whereas, HP is the sole provider of personal computers to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, including the Israeli army and its various forces used to enforce an inhumane occupation and apartheid.
Whereas, HP supports and provides Israel with technology found in the segregated ID system that racially profiles Palestinians, and controls their movement within occupied Palestine.
Whereas, members of York University’s senior administration and Board of Governors claim to support and “uphold human rights”, yet continue to invest in said companies, and providing weapons to international criminals.
And whereas, a member of York University’s Board of Governor, Paul Tsaparis, served as president of Hewlett-Packard Canada for 12 years, and before that was HP America’s VP of technology and support.
BIRT, Paul Tsaparis step down as he has a conflict of interest and should not be permitted to vote or make decisions for an academic institution while directly supporting and representing a company complicity in sustaining Israeli crimes against humanity.
BIFRT, York University observe the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by not supporting companies that provide weapons used to maintain a genocidal settler-colonial project across Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank in occupied Palestine.
BIFRT CUPE 3903 officially endorse the YU Weapons Divestment Campaign and demand that York University immediately cease any/all contracts with arms companies complicit in an apartheid on Indigenous Palestinians, and any company arming the violent settler-colonial project in occupied Palestine.