CAW Local 1285
Encyclopedia
Canadian Auto Workers Local 1285 is an
amalgamated Local of the Canadian Auto Workers
union based in Brampton
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is the largest private sector Union Local in Brampton. The Chrysler Brampton Assembly Plant
is the largest unit in the Local.
Workers at Daimler Bus, SKD, Benteler Automotive
, Hydro 1, Dana Automotive, T.I. Automotive, Eberspacher, Neilsons Dairy, PL Foods, Tilton, Crosby, Team Industrial, Abednego, Chrysler Parts Distribution
, Aramark
, and Transalta
are also represented.
Among other events, the CAW hosts and manages the Canada pavilion of the Carabram
cultural festival.
and produced the Nash Rambler. At that time the members belonged to UAW Local 1115. Nash Kelvinator was later bought by American Motors
. The first contract between the UAW and AMC occurred in 1956. The line speed was 22 cars per day.
AMC built a plant in Brampton at the corner of Steeles & Kennedy Road and in 1961 began building the Rambler
. The line speed was 32 cars per shift. Local 1285 received a separate UAW charter that year on May 12th, 1961. Charlie Carr was elected as the 1st President.
Several other workplaces have joined Local 1285 since 1961. Later, the Gremlin was produced.
Terry Gorman was the longest serving President of any CAW Local, elected in 1975, he served 6 terms. Buzz Hargrove
was the National Rep in 1975.
Bowing to public pressure, in 1977 AMC hired its first woman assembly line worker, Cecilia Palmer.
The CAW separated from the UAW in 1985. A CAW Charter was issued that year.
What is now known as the Brampton Assembly Plant was built in 1986 by AMC - Renault
. Chrysler
bought out AMC and acquired both plants in August 1987. The newer, "Bramalea" Plant built the Eagle Premier
, and the Dodge Monaco
. The line speed was about 250 cars per shift. There was only one shift. There wasn't a lot of work. Layoffs were rampant. The Kennedy Road Plant worked steady producing Jeep
s.
The LH vehicles: Dodge Intrepid
, Eagle Vision
, and Chrysler Concorde
were introduced at the "Bramalea" plant in 1992.
The Kennedy Road plant was closed on April 4th, 1992.
Local 1285 President, Terry Gorman retired in 1993.
Vince Bailey was elected as President.
The New Yorker
, LHS
, and later the 300M were Introduced. The Brampton Plant went to 3 shifts under the AWS system. Chrysler became DaimlerChrysler
in the fall of 1998.
In 2001, the 3rd shift was eliminated as a part of DaimlerChrysler's financial "Turnaround Plan".
In 2004, the Brampton Assembly Plant started production of the 300C
and Dodge Magnum
.
In 2005, the third shift was restored and an additional vehicle, "The Dodge Charger
", was introduced.
Chrysler was sold to Cerberus in 2007.
In 2008 the 3rd shift was eliminated. Later in the year the Magnum was dropped from the product lineup. The Dodge Challenger
was introduced.
Vince Bailey was appointed to a National Staff job in 2008.
Leon Rideout was elected as President of Local 1285 that same year.
amalgamated Local of the Canadian Auto Workers
Canadian Auto Workers
The Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
union based in Brampton
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the largest private sector Union Local in Brampton. The Chrysler Brampton Assembly Plant
Brampton Assembly
Brampton Assembly is a Chrysler automobile factory is located at 2000 Williams Parkway East, in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Originally built by American Motors Corporation for US$260 million, the manufacturing plant was specially designed for building the Eagle Premier.-History:In June 1984,...
is the largest unit in the Local.
Workers at Daimler Bus, SKD, Benteler Automotive
Benteler AG
Benteler International AG is a Management Holding Company, coordinating legally independent, internationally active business divisions Automotive, Stahl Rohr, & Distribution. Benteler was founded in 1876...
, Hydro 1, Dana Automotive, T.I. Automotive, Eberspacher, Neilsons Dairy, PL Foods, Tilton, Crosby, Team Industrial, Abednego, Chrysler Parts Distribution
Mopar
Mopar is the automobile parts and service arm of Chrysler Group LLC. The term was first used by Chrysler in the 1920s and has been in continuous use ever since. Mopar parts are original equipment manufactured parts for Chrysler vehicles...
, Aramark
Aramark
Aramark Corporation, known commonly as Aramark, is an American foodservice, facilities, and clothing provider supplying businesses, educational institutions, sports facilities, federal and state prisons, and health care institutions. It is headquartered at the Aramark Tower in Center City,...
, and Transalta
TransAlta
TransAlta Corporation is a power generation and wholesale marketing company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.TransAlta maintains a low-to-moderate risk profile by operating a highly contracted portfolio of assets in Canada, the United States and Australia...
are also represented.
Among other events, the CAW hosts and manages the Canada pavilion of the Carabram
Carabram
Carabram is an annual multi-cultural festival in Brampton, Ontario, founded in 1982.The festival was founded after volunteers from different ethnic communities wanted to organize a festival celebrating diversity and cross-cultural friendship...
cultural festival.
History
In 1949 members worked for Nash Motors, a division of the Nash Kelvinator Corporation. The plant was located on Danforth Ave. in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and produced the Nash Rambler. At that time the members belonged to UAW Local 1115. Nash Kelvinator was later bought by American Motors
American Motors
American Motors Corporation was an American automobile company formed by the 1954 merger of Nash-Kelvinator Corporation and Hudson Motor Car Company. At the time, it was the largest corporate merger in U.S. history.George W...
. The first contract between the UAW and AMC occurred in 1956. The line speed was 22 cars per day.
AMC built a plant in Brampton at the corner of Steeles & Kennedy Road and in 1961 began building the Rambler
Rambler (automobile)
Rambler was an automobile brand name used by the Thomas B. Jeffery Company between 1900 and 1914, then by its successor, Nash Motors from 1950 to 1954, and finally by Nash's successor, American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1969...
. The line speed was 32 cars per shift. Local 1285 received a separate UAW charter that year on May 12th, 1961. Charlie Carr was elected as the 1st President.
Several other workplaces have joined Local 1285 since 1961. Later, the Gremlin was produced.
Terry Gorman was the longest serving President of any CAW Local, elected in 1975, he served 6 terms. Buzz Hargrove
Buzz Hargrove
Basil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove, OC is the former National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union...
was the National Rep in 1975.
Bowing to public pressure, in 1977 AMC hired its first woman assembly line worker, Cecilia Palmer.
The CAW separated from the UAW in 1985. A CAW Charter was issued that year.
What is now known as the Brampton Assembly Plant was built in 1986 by AMC - Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
. Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
bought out AMC and acquired both plants in August 1987. The newer, "Bramalea" Plant built the Eagle Premier
Eagle Premier
The Eagle Premier was a full-size automobile developed by the American Motors Corporation and Renault partnership, inherited by Chrysler Corporation when it acquired AMC in 1987, and marketed from 1987 through 1992...
, and the Dodge Monaco
Dodge Monaco
The Dodge Monaco was a full-size automobile built and sold by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation between 1965 to 1978, and 1990 to 1992.-A Grand Prix competitor:...
. The line speed was about 250 cars per shift. There was only one shift. There wasn't a lot of work. Layoffs were rampant. The Kennedy Road Plant worked steady producing Jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
s.
The LH vehicles: Dodge Intrepid
Dodge Intrepid
The Dodge Intrepid is a large four-door, full-size, front-wheel drive sedan car model that was produced for model years 1993 to 2004. It was mechanically related to the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans...
, Eagle Vision
Eagle Vision
The Eagle Vision was a full-size, front-wheel drive sedan, marketed as a sports version of the Chrysler LH platform, produced from 1993-1997. It was sold by the Eagle division of the Chrysler Corporation, replacing the AMC/Renault-designed Eagle Premier...
, and Chrysler Concorde
Chrysler Concorde
The Chrysler Concorde was a large four-door, full-size, front wheel drive sedan produced by Chrysler from 1993 to 2004. It replaced the Chrysler Fifth Avenue on the lineup. One of Chrysler's 3 original Chrysler LH platform models derived from the American Motors/Renault-designed Eagle Premier, it...
were introduced at the "Bramalea" plant in 1992.
The Kennedy Road plant was closed on April 4th, 1992.
Local 1285 President, Terry Gorman retired in 1993.
Vince Bailey was elected as President.
The New Yorker
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker was a premium automobile built by the Chrysler Corporation from 1939–1996, serving for several years as the brand's flagship model. A model named the "New York Special" first appeared in the 1930s...
, LHS
Chrysler LHS
The Chrysler LHS is a full-size, front wheel drive car based on the Chrysler LH platform.Having been praised throughout its production run as offering a blend of high-end features, along with solid performance, the LHS was marketed as a rival to other cars costing thousands more...
, and later the 300M were Introduced. The Brampton Plant went to 3 shifts under the AWS system. Chrysler became DaimlerChrysler
DaimlerChrysler
Daimler AG is a German car corporation. By unit sales, it is the thirteenth-largest car manufacturer and second-largest truck manufacturer in the world. In addition to automobiles, Daimler manufactures buses and provides financial services through its Daimler Financial Services arm...
in the fall of 1998.
In 2001, the 3rd shift was eliminated as a part of DaimlerChrysler's financial "Turnaround Plan".
In 2004, the Brampton Assembly Plant started production of the 300C
Chrysler 300 letter series
The Chrysler 300 "letter series" were high-performance luxury cars built in very limited numbers by the Chrysler Corporation in the U.S. from 1955-1965...
and Dodge Magnum
Dodge Magnum
The Dodge Magnum name has been used on a number of different automobiles. The most recent is a large rear-wheel drive station wagon introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year and produced through to 2008. This new Magnum is Dodge's first car to use the new Chrysler LX platform, shared with the...
.
In 2005, the third shift was restored and an additional vehicle, "The Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
", was introduced.
Chrysler was sold to Cerberus in 2007.
In 2008 the 3rd shift was eliminated. Later in the year the Magnum was dropped from the product lineup. The Dodge Challenger
Dodge Challenger
The Dodge Challenger is the name of three different generations of automobiles marketed by the Dodge division of Chrysler.The first generation Dodge Challenger was a pony car built from 1970 to 1974, using the Chrysler E platform and sharing major components with the Plymouth Barracuda. The second...
was introduced.
Vince Bailey was appointed to a National Staff job in 2008.
Leon Rideout was elected as President of Local 1285 that same year.