I Won’t Be Silenced: My Record, My Integrity, Our Movement

Thank you to everyone who continues to engage with me during my campaign for OFL Secretary-Treasurer.

I want to take a moment to address a matter I have already discussed in various forums, but wanted to bring to your attention. Transparency and openness are essential to leadership, and it is important that all members hear the facts directly from me.

Over the past ten years, six of those as Secretary-Treasurer, I have had the privilege of serving this Federation with integrity, accountability, and a deep commitment to workers across Ontario. I remain guided by one principle above all: every dollar of members' money must be spent responsibly and invested directly in building worker power.

In the last few weeks, I have become aware of a series of whisper campaigns and false narratives circulating about me and my record. Rather than respond behind closed doors, I believe in addressing issues directly and transparently, because that is what leadership requires.

Let me be clear. Our Federation's finances are stable, audited annually, and managed with full transparency. Year after year, including this fiscal year, I have delivered surpluses consistently. Every dollar of members' money has been directed toward worker-driven initiatives like Make It Fair, Power of Many, and Enough is Enough. These are campaigns that have strengthened our movement, built solidarity, and delivered real gains for working people across Ontario.

The financial matter that some have referenced, relating to the calculation of cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), did not arise from any miscalculation or misconduct. It stemmed from a long-standing, jointly agreed-upon methodology between the Employer (the OFL) and the staff Union, established before my time as Secretary-Treasurer and based on professional advice from the OFL's accountant at the time.

Once I became aware that this approach was inconsistent with the proper formula, I took action during collective bargaining and ensured our new collective agreement included language allowing both the Employer and the Union to continue discussions to resolve the COLA methodology while ratifying that collective agreement.

That agreement was duly ratified collectively by the OFL Executive Committee and Board, who are the decision-making bodies of the OFL, in the spring of 2023.

After a new leadership was elected in the fall of 2023, including me as Secretary-Treasurer, discussions about COLA continued so that we could wrap up bargaining, and we worked collaboratively with the Executive Board, Officers, staff Union, and independent experts to resolve the matter. We resolved it collectively, corrected course on the methodology with new COLA language, and strengthened our financial safeguards to ensure that something like this would never recur.

The resolution of the COLA matter was to the satisfaction of the OFL Executive Committee, Board, and staff Union.

Every independent audit has confirmed that the Federation's finances are sound, transparent, and fully compliant. There has never been any misuse of funds. The auditor, BDO Canada, is fully aware of the COLA methodology used and has repeatedly affirmed the integrity of our financial reporting.

I have always faced challenges as a Black-racialized leader in our movement, but more recently, I have faced slander, been on the receiving end of condescending comments, had to counter the spread of misleading information about the facts, heard and seen remarks that call my integrity and character into question, dealt with repeated micro-aggressions, and faced outright disrespect from some within our labour movement.

I have also received personal threats about my future in the labour movement because of principled stances I have taken on issues of human rights, justice, and equity throughout the last few years. This is precisely why some folks in our movement are suddenly whispering about the COLA matter, right before the upcoming OFL convention.

But I will never be intimidated or silenced for standing on the side of fairness, integrity, and solidarity. Some will say and do anything to ensure they interfere with the democratic process of our movement. It is workers alone who must decide who to select as their leadership, without any duress, bullying, or intimidation tactics.

Being an African-Arab, Black-racialized, and Muslim man in leadership comes with unique challenges. Too often, leaders with multi-layered identities are expected to stay quiet and "to go along to get along."

I refuse to accept that.

I have spoken out for human rights, stood with those calling for a ceasefire, defended Black and other marginalized communities, and supported every worker fighting for dignity and respect. That is what true solidarity looks like.

Disagreements are part of any democratic movement, but they should never turn into misinformation or personal attacks. I remain committed to open dialogue, financial transparency, and principled leadership.

I am proud of my record, proud of what we have accomplished together, and proud of the movement we continue to build. No matter what is said behind closed doors, I will continue to lead with honesty, courage, and respect for every worker in this province.

Leadership is not about fear, it is about courage. It is about bringing workers and communities together to have the tough conversations that move us forward.

I remain committed to working alongside anyone in our movement who is dedicated to achieving this shared goal and vision.

In solidarity, 

Ahmad Gaied

Secretary-Treasurer

Ontario Federation of Labour

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