Bains has a long history of spreading misinformation. We can’t know his motivation, but we do know the result. His misinformation is harmful to our union and to others.
- He’s created a website and social media accounts that spread misinformation about HEU.
- He impersonates HEU staff and members with fake emails.
- He misled the public by creating a fake Fraser Health website address (URL) to spread anti-vaccine misinformation.
- He hired an arsonist to burn down his home to falsely claim the insurance money.
The facts on these examples are here for you to read for yourself.
Arson and insurance fraud case
In 1997, Bains sued his insurance company after they refused a payout after a fire at his home. The investigation found that Bains himself hired the arsonist who set fire to his house and that he made false claims about the items damaged in the fire. It was also found that he had increased the insurance coverage on the house and contents just weeks before the fire. His action against the insurance company was dismissed. You can read the news story yourself and the judgement in this case is here so you can read the facts yourself. (Legal cases are long, so start reading at paragraph 72!)
Website and social media posts
He’s created a website and a social media page about the union sharing misleading information about the union. Be aware HEUBC Voices Facebook page and the HEUBC.com are NOT legitimate HEU pages. On these platforms Bains posts accusations and misinformation that are unfounded and untrue. He also takes the time to post about HEU in other community Facebook forums – again, spreading misinformation and personal attacks. This is unacceptable. The union has put together responses to each of his common claims below in our FAQ.
Impersonating others on email
Bains has repeatedly sent emails impersonating HEU and pretending to represent HEU. He has also impersonated staff and the officers and sent emails falsely expressing their views. Pretending to be someone you are not in order to confuse people and to spread misinformation is very harmful to our members and to our reputation as a union.
Bains has boasted that he has created more than 50 email addresses for himself to prevent anyone from being able to block him.
Spreading vaccine misinformation
Bains also spread misinformation about vaccines. He purchased a URL similar to the Fraser Health Authority’s website and linked to an anti-vaccine website that makes claims about vaccines that have been rejected by public health authorities. This story was covered in the news. You can about read it here.
Privacy notice and disclaimer: Certain personal information has been redacted from the published documents to protect individual privacy, consistent with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). The opinions and statements expressed by Jessie Bains are his own and do not represent the views or official positions of the Hospital Employees' Union (HEU).