How Does a 'Whisper Campaign' Happen?

This election campaign is about much more than electing OFL Officers. It's about what kind of labour movement we want, and what kind of practices we want to uphold among ourselves.

In my other posts, I've talked about a whisper campaign against me that's been underway for weeks now, possibly months, and which has intensified as we get closer to the OFL Convention.

I've written this post to shine a spotlight on this destructive practice, and to explain why it harms much more than the person it targets. It harms our entire movement, and makes it harder to have open, honest, and democratic discussion in labour spaces.

This is why I've made "open, honest, and robust debate" a key point in my vision for the labour movement. I don't accept that these practices are a normal part of "doing politics." I want to fight for something better than that. Workers deserve better.

So what is a whisper campaign, and how does it happen?

A whisper campaign is a process where a negative narrative about someone is cultivated privately, in behind-the-scenes conversations. It's much worse than casual gossip in that it is more deliberate and the people driving it actively seek out opportunities to advance it.

The narrative almost always focuses more on attacking a person's character or motives for doing something than it does on simply disagreeing about an issue.

The process is inherently unaccountable, non-transparent, and undemocratic because the discussion is not conducted openly where everyone can have equal access to whatever information is being spread, and then offer counter-arguments or different interpretations of events.

It creates toxicity in our spaces.

Even worse, the person being targeted usually doesn't find out about it until it becomes really widespread, but by then the damage has been done. And when the person finds out about the campaign, they struggle to find out what exactly is being said about them, who is saying it, and who has been hearing it.

The secret nature of whisper campaigns makes it difficult to stop them. When we see this kind of behaviour in our workplaces, we fight like hell to stop it. As trade unionists, we oppose all forms of harassment and mobbing because we know the terrible personal toll it takes on workers' mental health and wellbeing.

If you're following my social media posts, you can see glimpses of how this whisper campaign is taking place. When people have expressed support for me, others have responded with comments like "I need to update you about this, DM me" or "We need to chat about this, when are you free?"

If you disagree with me, or want to challenge my record, I welcome your feedback. But please do it publicly and accountably, where everyone can see what you're saying, including me, and where I can defend myself.

Posting comments that target my supporters, and that invite them into a private conversation, is not about setting up a time to talk. It has the effect of sending a signal to everyone else: if you show public support, I will target you too. It's a bullying and intimidation tactic. It's what employers do during union drives: isolate people who might be supporters, privately feed them false information, and in doing so, create a climate where misinformation spreads and others fear speaking out in support of the Union.

This is the opposite of the kind of labour movement I want to build. We don't need private whisper campaigns to settle debates. Instead, we need many more public venues and opportunities to have sustained, honest, and open discussions among ourselves.

This vision is based on my deep sense of confidence in all our members and in their ability to come to the best conclusions if they have access to all the information and can participate freely in these discussions and without facing bullying or intimidation. There's lots of talk about how important rank-and-file members are, but those who engage in whisper campaigns show disrespect for the wider membership. They gate-keep our access to the information, and don't allow us the chance to challenge it or offer an alternative point of view.

Being on the receiving end of a whisper campaign has taught me a lot of things in the last few weeks. The most important lesson is that you have to shine a giant spotlight on this conduct, so that everyone can see what's happening and we can better equip ourselves to resist it when it happens.

Here's a suggestion for how you can interrupt these tactics in a friendly, de-escalating way. If someone attempts to draw you into a private conversation, you can simply respond with: "Let's have this discussion out in the open" or "I look forward to talking about this at the Convention" or "Thanks for letting me know your perspective, I'm looking forward to hearing Ahmad's perspective too."

I’m grateful to all those who have let me know this is happening (including people who aren't planning to vote for me) and for pushing back against it. Your honesty and openness have helped me figure out what exactly is being said about me.

This is also what helps counter these tactics and create a better climate for real discussion in our movement.

In my next post, I will take on, line by line, everything that is being said about me in private (at least what I know about) and provide the facts about whatever matter is being discussed.

Let's show in practice, in the final week before the Convention, what kind of labour movement we want, and how to have open and honest debates–including disagreements–without tearing each other down.

Solidarity, not smears, is what will help us build a winning labour movement.

---

Want to support Ahmad's campaign? Fill out this form.

#WorkersFirst #OFL2025 #CanLab #OnLab