UFCW Canada mourns the senseless killing of ten innocent Black people in Upstate New York

Toronto – May 18, 2022 – UFCW Canada mourns the lives of Celestine Chaney, Roberta A. Drury, Andre Mackneil, Katherine Massey, Margus D. Morrison, Heyward Patterson, Aaron Salter, Geraldine Talley, Ruth Whitfield, and Pearl Young.

We join UFCW District Union Local One in extending condolences to those injured, and to the grocery workers at Tops Friendly Markets, part of our union family, who were on the job at the time of the hateful shooting. We extend solidarity with the Buffalo community who are dealing with the impact of loss and trauma.

As we continue processing the senseless act of hate, we affirm that racism has no place in society. We commit to doing the work to sustain conversations beyond the union movement, knowing that ending racism takes collective action.

The actions of the mass shooter were based on racist ideologies and motivated by hate. This act of terror violated the individual human right to community safety in public life.  

Racism is systemic and continues to disproportionately affect Black communities. It also extends beyond the United States, and in many ways is harboured on Canadian soil. It is emboldened through online platforms that promote intolerance, xenophobia, and white supremacy.

Our union values include fighting to end racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, transphobia, and the various ways individuals experience societal hate. As we reflect on this act of domestic terrorism, we hold solidarity with those affected by the Buffalo shooting and communities working to end racism and gun violence in society.