The crisis in Gaza continues to reverberate in Australia with a Jewish support worker sacked by Sacred Heart Mission for demonstrating Palestine solidarity at work. Monica Campo reports.
Stella Latham, a Jewish support worker, parent, and Australian Services Union member, was terminated from her position at Sacred Heart Mission in St Kilda after four years of service as a Supportive Housing Case Manager. The reason? Stella’s vocal support for Palestine, which management at Sacred Heart claimed created an “unsafe” work environment.
No complaints were made about the quality of Stella’s work; rather, Sacred Heart Mission’s management accused Stella of “serious misconduct” and of posing a “serious and imminent risk to the health and safety of others” based on her expressions of solidarity with Palestine. For example, Sacred Heart management took issue with Stella wearing a t-shirt displaying the dove of peace and an olive branch—symbols labelled “aggressive and intimidating.”
Additionally, Stella faced reprimands for placing union leaflets and posters on a union notice board under the supervision of an Australian Services Union (ASU) organiser and for discussing her workplace situation in a union WhatsApp chat. SHM used screenshots of this chat in their dossier of allegations against Stella.
In a further display of overreach, management at Sacred Heart Mission forbade staff from even displaying watermelon symbols.
A spokesperson for ASU for Palestine condemned Sacred Heart Mission’s actions:
“Speaking up against a brutal genocide does not make a workplace unsafe! Sacred Heart Mission’s disavowal of the genocide in Gaza and treatment of their staff contrasts markedly with their stated mission and values of ‘an inclusive and fair society where everyone can live a fulfilling life’ and ‘support each other to succeed and join up for the common good'”.
The situation escalated for Stella in April when a photo of her collecting donations for Gazan children was posted in a Facebook group of over 11,000 members of Victoria’s Jewish community. The post attracted hateful comments, with one individual remarking, “Shame they weren’t terminated fetuses.” Zionist lobbyist Dvir Abramovich reposted the photo on his Facebook page, identifying Stella as a Sacred Heart Mission employee.
In the context of Abramovich’s page – which often calls for Zionists to take action against those who support Palestine – this post should be seen as an invitation for followers to pressure Sacred Heart Mission. Management at Sacred Heart did not offer any support to Stella after this incident of doxing, insisting there was nothing they could do to help.
This incident is part of a broader trend where pro-Israel supporters have pressured workplaces to act against employees who advocate for Palestine.
Similar instances have occurred with Antoinette Lattouf at the ABC, the Black Star Bakery baristas, and at cultural institutions like the State Library of Victoria and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO), who have also recently cancelled work for artists who speak out for Palestine.
This trend is a threat to freedom of political expression at work. Dr Max Kaiser, Executive Officer at the Jewish Council of Australia, said: “No worker should be fired for political activism. Discriminating against an employee for their support of the Palestinian cause sets a dangerous precedent. Unfortunately, we have seen this sort of censorship play out all too regularly, particularly against Palestinians and people of colour.”
‘Safety’ and ‘cultural safety’ have consistently been used by management as reasons to silence discussion about Palestine in workplaces, particularly in the community sector. A recent ASU for Palestine survey revealed widespread censorship of discussions about Gaza in community and Not-for-Profit organisations and local governments. HR managers have even gone as far as forbidding staff from discussing Palestine with colleagues, wearing keffiyehs, or expressing their views on personal social media accounts outside of work hours.
“If wearing a t-shirt with a dove of peace and an olive branch on it is now seen as aggressive, and speaking up about genocide is a sackable offence, then we’re in serious trouble,” said Jill Sparrow, ASU for Palestine. “If these rules were applied to previous situations, people would have lost their jobs for speaking out against Apartheid or wearing a t-shirt with Nelson Mandela on it. The union movement must defend the right to political expression in the workplace, and ASU for Palestine will stand with any union member who is victimised.”
Free Palestine Melbourne stands in solidarity with Stella Latham. After 11 months of genocide, it’s clear that those who should face sanctions are those destroying Gaza, not workers standing for human rights and an end to the slaughter.
Get a heart
“No worker should be fired for political activism,” said Max Kaiser. “Discriminating against an employee for their support of the Palestinian cause sets a dangerous precedent. Unfortunately, we have seen this sort of censorship play out all too regularly, particularly against Palestinians and people of colour.”
ASU for Palestine will continue to support Stella and any other union members facing repercussions for raising the issue of Gaza in their workplaces. We will continue to fight for the right to political expression and we are planning a week of action in solidarity with Stella and others who have been unfairly treated in the workplace.
Sacred Heart should get a heart. The destruction and death toll in Gaza is catastrophic, and there is no end in sight. The Palestinians are facing one of the most powerful militaries in the world, Israel, backed by the USA. Our own governments have facilitated this genocide by continuing military exports, providing surveillance data from Pine Gap, and maintaining ongoing contracts with Israel.
Monica Campo is a community and union activist and member of Unionists for Palestine and ASU for Palestine. She has been involved in workplace and community organising for Palestine over the last 11 months. Monica is a researcher and educator working in gender based violence organisations.