Automotive News Canada - March 2022 - 6

6
* MARCH 2022
Unifor after
Dias:
It's complicated
Background drama
surrounding his
sudden departure
throws a possible
wrench into the
upcoming election
By DAVID KENNEDY
T ORONTO BUREAU CHIEF
FORMER UNIFOR NATIONAL
President Jerry Dias, who abruptly
retired after eight and a half years
at the union's top post March 11,
had been under investigation since
January for an alleged breach of the
union's constitution.
Unifor, which represents about
40,000 workers at parts suppliers and
vehicle assembly plants in Canada,
has released no details about the
nature of the ongoing investigation.
Dias was due to retire in August
with a new leader being elected
at that time. He announced Feb. 6
that he was on leave, citing medical
issues. The March 11 retirement
injects uncertainty into the race
to replace him, while observers of
labour and its history say the investigation
could threaten the longtime
leader's legacy.
TIMELINE OF THE COMPLAINT
According to a March 14 statement
from the union, Unifor
Secretary-Treasurer Lana Payne
received a written complaint about
Dias on Jan. 26 and initiated an independent
external investigation. Dias
was informed of the complaint Jan.
29. He went on medical leave Feb. 6.
He informed Unifor's National
Executive Board (NEB) of his decision
to retire March 11, and the
union officially announced his decision
March 13, making no mention
of the ongoing investigation.
A day later, Canada's largest private-sector
union, which represents
315,000 workers across the country,
disclosed the investigation but provided
no details.
" In order to ensure the integrity
of the ongoing investigation and to
maintain confidentiality in accordance
with the Unifor Constitution,
specifics of the complaint will not be
divulged at this time, " the union's
statement said, adding that it expected
to receive the investigative report
in the near future.
The statement also stressed that
each Unifor member is " held to the
same standard and afforded the
same rights " under the union's constitution.
Dias
declined to comment on the
matter.
David Cassidy, left, and Scott
Doherty are vying for the top job
at Unifor. FILE PHOTOS
ELECTION COMPLICATION
Unifor's NEB was scheduled to
meet March 21 to discuss both the
investigation and how to fill the
vacancy left by
Dias. His exit five
months before the
NEWS ANALYSIS
end of his final three-year term creates
an unusual situation to replace
him.
Two contenders - Scott Doherty,
who was executive assistant to
Dias, and Unifor Local 444 President
David Cassidy, who represents hourly
workers at Stellantis' assembly
plant in Windsor, Ont. - declared
in February they would run for
the union's top job. At the time, the
election was expected to be held at
Unifor's triennial convention Aug.
8-12.
The Unifor Constitution, however,
stipulates that if the office of
president becomes vacant, the NEB
must call a " special convention "
within 30 days to elect a new leader.
One exception to the rule is if the
vacancy occurs within 120 days of a
planned convention, in which case,
the secretary treasurer temporarily
assumes the responsibilities of president.
The
August convention is more
than 120 days from Dias' March 11
departure date, though only by a few
weeks.
Unifor would not confirm whether
Dias' retirement would prompt a
special convention, stating only that
its NEB would discuss the " constitutional
requirements " of filling the
role of president during the March
21 meeting.
The president would likely preside
until the regularly scheduled
election in August. In the meantime,
there are no major automotive contracts
to negotiate until 2024.
Doherty, who has been actively
campaigning for the presidency
since Feb. 1, was clearer about what
Dias' early retirement means for the
race. In a Twitter update March 15,
he said the move will force a special
convention, with the NEB responsible
for deciding the timing and
whether the convention will take
place virtually or in person.
Dias was elected Unifor's first
president at the union's foundJerry
Dias went on medical
leave Feb. 6 and retired from
Unifor on March 11. The
complaint against him was
filed in late January. FILE PHOTO
ing convention in 2013, following
the merger of the Canadian
Auto Workers union and the
Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers Union of Canada. He
was reelected to two further threeyear
terms in 2016 and 2019 and was
expected to retire after the August
convention.
LEGACY ON THE LINE?
The ongoing investigation could
change how Dias is remembered,
two labour experts say.
" I think there's always a risk to
your legacy. If you step down earlier
than planned, there's always going
to be rumour of why, " said Arthur
Wheaton, director of labour studies
at Cornell University's School of
Industrial and Labor Relations.
Likewise, Dimitry Anastakis,
the R.J. Currie Chair in Canadian
Business History at the University
of Toronto, told The Canadian Press
that the allegation could tarnish
Dias' legacy " because if you've got
personal scandals that are going to
bring you down, all of the work that
you do gets viewed
in that framework. "
Wheaton:
" I
don't want
to presume
that Jerry
Dias is guilty
of anything
because he
certainly has
earned the
right for due
process. "
SUPPLIED
PHOTO
Yet Wheaton
cautioned Unifor
members to await
the results of the
investigation.
" Election times
you can bring up
lots of accusations
that don't lead to
anything substantial, "
he said, " so I
don't want to presume
that Jerry
Dias is guilty of
anything because
he certainly has
earned the right
for due process. "
Ultimately,
Wheaton said,
Dias' legacy will be determined by
his impact on members through his
nearly nine years as Unifor president.
" Have
they made gains at the bargaining
table? Have they improved
the standard of living? I think
almost unilaterally across the
board, they have made improvements, "
Wheaton said. He pointed
to the reopening of General Motors'
Oshawa Assembly Plant and mandates
at other Ontario assembly
plants to build electric vehicles as
substantial victories for the union.
- ANC
TRENDING
STORIES
automotivenews.ca
ONGOING WEB COVERAGE
MICROCHIP SHORTAGE
After some semiconductor relief in late February and early
March, the war in Ukraine could cause another problem. The
country accounts for 70 per cent of the world's output of neon,
a critical gas that runs the lasers needed to manufacture
microchips.
TUNIFOR ELECTIONSwo candidates have emerged ahead of the union's August leadership
convention, but Jerry Dias' sudden retirement as Unifor's
national president has placed urgency on a replacement. Unifor
represents workers at the Detroit Three auto plants in Canada.
INDUSTRY DECRIES PROPOSED LUXURY TAX
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RELEASED A DRAFT OF
its levy on vehicles priced at $100,000 and higher, set to be implemented
Sept. 1. The tax will be calculated at the
lesser of 20 per cent of the value above the price
threshold or 10 per cent of the full value of the luxury
vehicle. Auto-industry stakeholders are roiled that
high-priced zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) are subject
to the tax. " Taxing ZEVs when price is the most
significant barrier to ZEV adoption is the wrong policy
at the wrong time, " said Brian Kingston, CEO of
the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association.
Kingston
FILE PHOTO
The organization lobbies for Detroit Three automakers in Canada.
BUZZ OVER NEW MICROBUS
VOLKSWAGEN IS BETTING A MODERN TAKE ON THE ICONIC
Microbus will boost its aim to pass Tesla as the world's top electric-vehicle
automaker. VW on March 9
unveiled the ID Buzz, a battery-electric
minivan with retro styling that recalls the
Microbus of the 1960s. Orders will open
this year for deliveries to begin in early
2024. Technically, the ID Buzz is based
on VW's ID4 electric crossover that
PHOTO: VOLKSWAGEN
uses VW Group's MEB electric platform.
RAWLUK TO LEAVE AUTOCANADA
THE PRESIDENT OF AUTOCANADA INC.'S CANADIAN
operations is leaving the dealership group. AutoCanada made the
announcement about Michael Rawluk's departure
March 3 on a call with media regarding its
fourth-quarter earnings for 2021. The company said
the departure is for personal reasons. AutoCanada
Executive Chairman Paul Antony thanked Rawluk
for his " substantial " contributions over nearly four
years on the job. " He has been instrumental in stabilizing
our Canadian dealership platform, strengthening
the team of talented professionals running
the business day-to-day and successfully positioning us to enter
our next stage of growth, " Antony said in a release.
Rawluk
FILE PHOTO
FEDS TO SUPPORT MICROCHIPS AT HOME
CANADA WILL INVEST A TOTAL OF $240 MILLION INTO ITS
semiconductor industry to bolster manufacturing and research
of chips that are crucial to national security and technological
advancement, a federal minister said Feb. 28. FrançoisPhilippe
Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry,
launched a $150-million Semiconductor Challenge Callout fund to
develop and supply semiconductors. Another $90 million has been
allocated to the National Research Council of Canada's Canadian
Photonics Fabrication Centre. Photonics are used in telecommunication
networks.
WINDSOR KEEPS SECOND SHIFT UNTIL JULY
STELLANTIS HAS EXTENDED THE LIFE OF A SECOND SHIFT
at its minivan plant in Windsor, Ont. The automaker said Feb. 24
it will now knock the Windsor Assembly Plant down to one shift at
the end of June. In a statement issued in October, Stellantis referenced
" early spring. " Unifor Local 444, which represents workers
at the factory, said at the time the change was to take place April
17. Stellantis declined to comment on the extension. - ANC
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