I'm Running for OFL Secretary-Treasurer

Dear friends and fellow workers,

My name is Ahmad Gaied, and I am proud to announce my candidacy for re-election as Secretary-Treasurer of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL).

I have spent most of my life in this movement, advocating for workers and my community in various capacities: as a grocery store worker from Scarborough, as a worker advocate at the Board of Referees, as a crisis counsellor with Victim Services, as a safety instructor at Centennial College, as a Member Engagement Representative and Steward at the United Food and Commercial Workers union (UFCW), and as your Secretary-Treasurer at the Ontario Federation of Labour, for the past six years.

I am running again because I believe in a simple but powerful principle: Our movement must always put Workers First.

When I first was elected at the OFL, we were struggling to keep the lights on and all staff employed. We were quite literally waiting by the door for affiliate cheques to arrive, so we could pay our bills and obligations in the face of mounting debt. But by working together, we changed all that.

Today, the OFL is on strong financial footing. I am proud to have delivered consistent surpluses, ensured accountability, and ensured the Federation had the resources it needed to organize, mobilize, and win for workers.

Every single year that I have been Secretary-Treasurer, the OFL has achieved a clean audit. All financial reviews are conducted by an external auditing body, BDO Canada, which is one of the most reputable in Canada.

This stability was not achieved alone. It was built with the support of our affiliates over the years, and with Labour Councils and activists who demanded transparency and responsibility. You asked, we delivered.

My commitment to you all remains the same: Every dollar must serve workers and their struggles.

As an African-Arab, Black-racialized, and Muslim trade unionist and leader, I know first hand the challenges of navigating the labour movement.

Leadership means speaking up, even when it is uncomfortable or unpopular. In my time as an OFL Officer, I have experienced many moments like this, and I'm proud of the stance I took every single time: calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, defending Sarah Jama, and standing alongside leaders like Dr. Jill Andrew and Matthew Green when others wanted us to stay quiet.

True leadership means staying grounded in our core values: solidarity, justice, and courage. We need strong leadership now, more than ever, and not just when it is convenient.

We need a Federation that listens, and that builds power from the ground up. That means open debate, honest reflection, and real collaboration.

Our strength lies with everyday rank-and-file workers, not just at convention podiums, but on picket lines, in workplaces, and in communities across Ontario. From housing and affordability to human rights and equity, our movement must reflect and fight for all workers’ struggles.

We must uplift and amplify the voices of those too often sidelined: Women, Indigenous peoples, Black and racialized workers, migrant wokers and people without status, newcomer communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, injured and ill workers, low-income and unemployed workers, students and young people, seniors and retirees, and any group facing discrimination and persecution.

We must also reach out to, learn from, and centre the experience of workers from Northern and rural communities across Ontario. Our Labour Councils are a critically important voice for these communities, and they deserve more support from the rest of the labour movement.

Our movement is stronger when every one of us is heard and respected, whether you are a large or smaller affiliate. Everyone deserves to have a seat at the table, and to have their voice heard.

The challenges ahead are real, but so is our power when we act together. I believe in a united, principled, and transparent federation that puts the needs of workers first.

Being an independent candidate does not make my candidacy any less relevant or capable of leading. In reality, it allows me to focus entirely on workers, not political branding or personal loyalty. It allows me to make every decision about this work with the best interests of Ontario’s workers at heart.

I am asking for your support to continue this work: to strengthen every aspect of our movement, to deepen our solidarity, and to ensure that every worker in Ontario sees themselves reflected in a labour movement they call their own.

In solidarity,

Ahmad Gaied

Secretary-Treasurer Ontario Federation of Labour

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