The president of Alberta’s largest union apologized on Friday afternoon after remarks he made with anti-Semitic undertones were roundly criticized by B’nai Brith Canada.
On Thursday, AUPE president Guy Smith criticized Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro in an interview with CBC, in which he spoke about a $2-an-hour increase in wages for health-care aides in the province.
“When Minister Shandro made the announcement, he sort of walked into the town square, and threw a few shekels on the ground to see who would go scrambling for it, and then he just walked away,” Smith said.
The quote was shared on social media by the AUPE and was brought to the attention of B’nai Brith Canada, which said Smith used an “age-old anti-Semitic stereotype” and called for the AUPE to remove the post from its social media channels and issue an immediate apology.
