Canadian Auto Workers
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW; formally the National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union of Canada) is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario
's large auto plants of Windsor
, Brampton
, Oakville
, St. Catharines and Oshawa
, the CAW has in recent years expanded and now incorporates workers in industries from fisheries to air travel. The current president of the CAW is Ken Lewenza
.
(UAW).
The UAW was founded in August 1935, and the Canadian Region of the UAW was established in 1937 following a strike at General Motors's Oshawa
, Ontario
plant. CAW unionized the Ford Motor Company
in 1945 after the a major strike
which established the right
of Canadian labour union members to dues checkoff. Before 1979, the Canadian Region was largely seen to follow in the contractual footsteps of the larger US-UAW, and despite growing differences, continued under the auspice of the UAW until 1985.
The reasons for the CAW split from the UAW are complicated. Holmes and Rusonik (1990) contend that although the Canadian labour movement has been seen as traditionally more militant than its American counterpart, it was in fact the uneven geographical development of both management and labour led the Canadian auto-workers to develop a distinctly different set of collective bargaining objectives, which placed them in a far stronger bargaining position as compared to the UAW in the U.S., and, ultimately, brought about the events that led directly to the Split.
Two of the main forces demanding the restructuring of management and Labour during this time were the rise of Japan as a major automotive
force, and the general recession
of the world economy in the late 70's and early 80's. Aided by the Auto Pact and the weakening Canadian dollar
in relation to the United States dollar
, a geographic difference developed which provided some relief to many Canadian auto-workers.
By December 1984, significant differences in the value of negotiated contracts, and divergent union objectives had set the stage for the creation of the CAW, a process documented in the Genie Award
winning film, Final Offer
. In 1984, the Canadian section of the UAW, under the leadership of Bob White and his assistants Buzz Hargrove and Bob Nickerson, broke from the UAW, led by Owen Bieber
, because the American union was seen as giving away too much in the way of concessions during collective bargaining
. Additionally, the UAW had been lobbying the U.S. Congress to force the transfer of auto production from Canada to the U.S. and the Canadian branch felt there was a lack of a representative voice during UAW's conventions. By 1985 the split from the American union was complete and Bob White was acclaimed as the first President of the CAW. He went on to serve 3 terms as president.
union in the country. Most notable were the mergers with the Fishermen, Food, and Allied Workers and the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Transport and General Workers. The CAW also voiced strong opposition to the then-federal government of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney
and such policies as the Goods and Services Tax
and free trade. Under White and Hargrove, the CAW has moved toward the European model of social unionism and away from American business unionism
.
In the case Fullowka et al. v. Royal Oak Ventures Inc
, held in the aftermath of an 18 month strike at Royal Oak Mines in Yellowknife, the CAW was originally held responsible for 22% of damages at trial, before CAW was successful on appeal. The trial judge found that the union breached its duty of care by doing nothing to stop illegal acts during the strike, paying fines and legal fees for striking miners, providing a person to assist the miners' union who prolonged the strike, and failing to bargain in good faith. At trial, the court ruled that the cumulative effect of these breaches of the duty of care were found to have materially contributed to Roger Warren
's bombing of the mine, which killed nine strikebreaking workers. Warren, a union member who had been fired from Royal Oak, testified that he was only capable of the bombing because strike-breakers had been "dehumanized" by the union and was sentenced to life in prison. However, these findings of liability were overturned on appeal by the Northwest Territories Court of Appeal and a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada
is pending. Furthermore, CAW members Al Shearing and Tim Bettger were sentenced to two and a half and three years in prison, respectively. Both were convicted of painting anti-scab graffiti and setting an explosion in a ventilation shaft on June 29, 1992. Bettger was sentenced to an additional six months in prison for blowing a hole in a television satellite dish September 1 of that year. (The unioned miners were part of the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers union (CASAW) Local 4 at the time of the strike, and merged into the CAW on May 1994.)
In 1998, the CAW was deeply involved in discussions with Volvo Canada LTD.
and the Government of Nova Scotia
over the closure of the Volvo Halifax Assembly
plant. In 2000, the CAW was expelled from the Canadian Labour Congress
when several union locals left the SEIU and joined the CAW, prompting accusations of union raiding. A settlement was reached a year later that allowed the CAW to rejoin the national labour federation but relations with other unions such as the Canadian Union of Public Employees
, the United Steel Workers of America and SEIU remain strained and the CAW remains outside of the Ontario Federation of Labour
.
The CAW's relationship with other unions has also been strained due to its different political direction. The CAW is strongly left leaning and it has traditionally been a strong supporter of the New Democratic Party
(NDP) and the Bloc Québécois
(Bloc). However, under former leader Buzz Hargrove
, it began lending its support to the Liberal Party of Canada
in ridings which the NDP were unlikely to win in the recent federal elections.
The CAW has attempted several times, all unsuccessful, to organize Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
. TMMC Assistant General Manager and spokesman Greig Mordue stated "Our team members will decide whether or not a union best reflects their interest... At this point in time, we don't think they have anything to gain from a union", and described the defeat of the union drive saying "Our team members have recognized that a third party represents a complication they don't need." Despite this, however, the CAW supported Mordue as the Liberal candidate in the 2006 federal election instead of endorsing the NDP's Zoe Kunschner. Mordue attempted to take credit for bringing the new plant to Woodstock, but lost to Conservative incumbent Dave MacKenzie.
The 2006 federal election
saw the governing Liberals lose power, despite CAW support. Afterwards, the Ontario NDP voted to expel Hargrove for supporting the Liberals, which automatically suspended his membership in the federal party. The CAW retaliated by severing all union ties with the NDP, a move formalized at the CAW's 2006 convention.
negotiated with the Big Three US automobile manufacturers
in 2007, predicting that the subprime mortgage crisis
and currency would hit Canadian auto production especially hard. Faria noted that UAW president Ron Gettelfinger
agreed to have the UAW's "all-in" wage, benefit and pension costs drop from a high of $75.86 per hour in 2007 to an average of about $51 per hour starting in 2010. By comparison, the CAW's cost per hour was $77 in 2007 and will rise to over $80 per hour by the end of the new contract. Faria said that Gettelfinger went into negotiations "with the right intention...Save jobs. The CAW strategy was to squeeze every dime out of them." Hargrove was said to have "instilled backbone and an attitude that the union could always make the auto makers buckle at the bargaining table".
Current union president Ken Lewenza
has argued that labour is not responsible for the bankruptcy crisis facing the Big Three automakers, saying that his members would not make concessions part of any taxpayer-funded bailout. "We don't see this as us being the problem", Lewenza said, adding he would "absolutely not" accept any further cuts after losing tens of thousands of jobs in recent years. "We've suffered our share of pain."
Lawenza argued that the CAW agreed in 2007 to make concessions that will save the Big Three $900 million over three years.
A spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
has criticized the CAW's "no-concession" stance, saying that it only serves to strengthen the opposition to a taxpayer-funded bailout for the struggling Detroit Three automakers. The CTF further pointed out that "It is especially difficult to understand anyone asking for government help that refuses to do anything to help itself to begin with", since they "fail to realize they've existed at the substantial largesse of taxpayers for decades". Kelly McParland, a columnist for the National Post
, has suggested that "if he won't give anything, he and his members are likely to lose everything." He also said that the problem facing the North American auto industry was borne equally by management and labour alike, criticizing labour for building up pay and benefits for themselves that was as unsustainable as it was enviable, while attacking management for its short-term strategy of selling gas-guzzling trucks and sales tactics (price cuts, rebates, free gas and cash-back schemes).
The CTF has opposed the proposed $3.5 CAD billion bailout for Canadian subsidiaries of the Big Three, saying that it was an unfair financial burden on the average Canadian, as well as another excuse for the Detroit automakers to postpone much needed change. The CTF noted that federal and provincial governments spent $782-million in the past five years on the Big Three, saying "These have been a bottomless pit of requests for cash". Lewenza disagreed, saying that the bailout should be seen by Canadians as a loan that will be paid back when the country's economy is prosperous again.
On December 20, the government of Canada and Ontario
province offered $3.3 billion in loans to the auto industry. Under the plan GM
will receive $3 billion and Chrysler
will receive the rest. Ford only asked for a line of credit but will not be participating in the bailout.
The CAW negotiated a cost-cutting deal with General Motors Canada on March 8, 2009. The deal would extend the current contract for an additional year to September 2012, and preserves the current average assembly-worker base pay of about $34 an hour. It would eliminate a $1,700 annual "special bonus," and reduce special paid absences or "SPA days" from two weeks to one week a year, while maintaining vacation entitlements which range up to six weeks a year for high-seniority workers. The deal also introduce payments by members toward their health benefits - $30 monthly per family for workers and $15 a month for pensioners. Lewenza said it also would trim by 35 per cent company contributions to union-provided programs such as child care and wellness programs. Lewenza called the package a "major sacrifice." However, observers noted that the deal did not go far enough; Dominion Bond Rating Service
analyst Kam Hon described it as "not material." Automotive industry consultant Dennis DesRosiers said that General Motors had missed the chance to slash labour costs, pointing out that bankruptcy was a looming threat, Ottawa and Queen's Park demanded cuts to the labour bill as a condition of the bailout, and that the deficit to the pension fund would prevent the CAW from striking. He stimated the total hourly cost of a GM Canada worker, including benefits, is $75 to $78, and saying that "they [GM] got six or seven." when it should have been cut by $20. DesRosiers also said giving up cost-of-living increases is not significant when inflation is nearly non-existent and added that the 40-hour reduction in paid time off
merely means "five fewer spa days." University of Toronto
professor Joe D'Cruz calculated that it would save $148 million a year, though GM is seeking $6 billion in Canadian government support.
CAW autoworkers with seniority were able to maintain 10 weeks of vacation with full pay, while not contributing to their pension fund, relying instead on taxpayers (including these without pensions) to help make up their unfunded liabilities.
The agreement is contingent on Canada being allocated 20% of GM's North American, and getting billions of dollars in federal and provincial taxpayer support, which Lewenza stressed will be loans. However, some suggested that this would not be the final time that automakers would request a bailout.
Dennis DesRosiers estimated that GM will go through its government loans in a couple of quarters, long before any recovery in the market. Furthermore, GM Canada president Arturo Elias had admitted to MP Frank Valeriote
that GM had pledged all its assets worldwide to the U.S. government in order to secure the first tranche of a US$30 billion loan, leaving no assets to collateralize the $6 billion loan from the Canadian government. The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation noted that between 1982 and 2005, Ottawa handed out over $18.2 billion to corporations, of which only $7.1 billion was repayable, and only $1.3 billion was ever repaid.
Chrysler vice-chairman and president Thomas W. LaSorda
(himself the son of a CAW official) and Ford's chief of manufacturing Joe Hinrichs said that the GM-CAW deal was insufficient, suggesting that they would break the CAW's negotiating pattern set by GM. LaSorda told the Canadian House of Commons
finance committee that he would demand an hourly wage cut of $20, suggested that Chrysler may withdraw from Canada if it fails to achieve more substantial cost savings from the CAW.
On March 31, 2009, the Canadian federal and Ontario governments jointly rejected the restructuring plans submitted by GM and Chrysler. This came a day after US President Barack Obama
had rejected the plans of their parent companies. Both federal Industry Minister Tony Clement
and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty
suggested the CAW's initial deal was insufficient in cutting costs and the union had return to the bargaining table to make further concessions. Both governments maintained that these were needed to make the business viable in order justify the use of taxpayers' money.
Fiat
CEO Sergio Marchionne
has asked that CAW wages be reduced to the levels of non-unionized workers from Honda and Toyota operating in Canada, or else they would walk away from the proposed alliance with Chrysler, resulting in the latter being forced into bankruptcy.
Presidents of the Canadian Auto Workers
by Sturla Gunnarsson & Robert Collision. It follows the 1984 contract negotiations with General Motors that saw the CAW's birth, and split with the UAW. It's an interesting look at life on the shop floor of a car factory, along with the art of business negotiation.
's student union building, which was renamed the CAW Student Centre in 1991 as recognition of the gift.
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....
's large auto plants of Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
, Brampton
Brampton
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada.Brampton may also refer to:- Canada :* Brampton, a city in Ontario** Brampton GO Station, a station in the GO Transit network located in the city- United Kingdom :...
, Oakville
Oakville, Ontario
Oakville is a town in Halton Region, on Lake Ontario in Southern Ontario, Canada, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area. As of the 2006 census the population was 165,613.-History:In 1793, Dundas Street was surveyed for a military road...
, St. Catharines and Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, the CAW has in recent years expanded and now incorporates workers in industries from fisheries to air travel. The current president of the CAW is Ken Lewenza
Ken Lewenza, Sr.
Ken Lewenza, Sr. is the National President of the Canadian Auto Workers union, having been acclaimed at that organization's national convention on September 6, 2008. He was previously the president of the Canadian Auto Workers, Local 444 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada...
.
Split from UAW
The CAW began as the Canadian Region of the United Auto WorkersUnited Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
(UAW).
The UAW was founded in August 1935, and the Canadian Region of the UAW was established in 1937 following a strike at General Motors's Oshawa
Oshawa
Oshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
, 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....
plant. CAW unionized the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
in 1945 after the a major strike
Ford Strike of 1945
The 99-day Ford Strike of 1945 took place in Windsor, Ontario, Canada from September 12, 1945 to December 19, 1945. Under UAW Local 200 President Roy England, 10 000 workers walked off their jobs after 24 of their demands went unmet by the Ford Motor Company...
which established the right
Rand formula
In Canadian labour law, the Rand formula is a workplace situation where the payment of trade union dues is mandatory regardless of the worker's union status...
of Canadian labour union members to dues checkoff. Before 1979, the Canadian Region was largely seen to follow in the contractual footsteps of the larger US-UAW, and despite growing differences, continued under the auspice of the UAW until 1985.
The reasons for the CAW split from the UAW are complicated. Holmes and Rusonik (1990) contend that although the Canadian labour movement has been seen as traditionally more militant than its American counterpart, it was in fact the uneven geographical development of both management and labour led the Canadian auto-workers to develop a distinctly different set of collective bargaining objectives, which placed them in a far stronger bargaining position as compared to the UAW in the U.S., and, ultimately, brought about the events that led directly to the Split.
Two of the main forces demanding the restructuring of management and Labour during this time were the rise of Japan as a major automotive
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
force, and the general recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
of the world economy in the late 70's and early 80's. Aided by the Auto Pact and the weakening Canadian dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
in relation to the United States dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, a geographic difference developed which provided some relief to many Canadian auto-workers.
By December 1984, significant differences in the value of negotiated contracts, and divergent union objectives had set the stage for the creation of the CAW, a process documented in the Genie Award
Genie Award
Genie Awards are given out to recognize the best of Canadian cinema by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television. From 1949-1979, the awards were named the Canadian Film Awards...
winning film, Final Offer
Final Offer
Final Offer is a Canadian film documenting the 1984 contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers Union and GM. Ultimately, it provided a historical record of the birth of the Canadian Auto Workers Union as Bob White, then head of the Canadian sector of the UAW, led his membership out of...
. In 1984, the Canadian section of the UAW, under the leadership of Bob White and his assistants Buzz Hargrove and Bob Nickerson, broke from the UAW, led by Owen Bieber
Owen Bieber
Owen Frederick Bieber is an American labor union activist. He was president of the United Auto Workers from 1983 to 1995.-Early life and career:...
, because the American union was seen as giving away too much in the way of concessions during collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
. Additionally, the UAW had been lobbying the U.S. Congress to force the transfer of auto production from Canada to the U.S. and the Canadian branch felt there was a lack of a representative voice during UAW's conventions. By 1985 the split from the American union was complete and Bob White was acclaimed as the first President of the CAW. He went on to serve 3 terms as president.
Politics
After separation, the CAW began to grow quickly in size and stature. It merged with a number of smaller unions to double in size and become the largest private sectorPrivate sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
union in the country. Most notable were the mergers with the Fishermen, Food, and Allied Workers and the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Transport and General Workers. The CAW also voiced strong opposition to the then-federal government of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
and such policies as the Goods and Services Tax
Goods and Services Tax (Canada)
The Goods and Services Tax is a multi-level value added tax introduced in Canada on January 1, 1991, by then Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and his finance minister Michael Wilson. The GST replaced a hidden 13.5% Manufacturers' Sales Tax ; Mulroney claimed the GST was implemented because the MST...
and free trade. Under White and Hargrove, the CAW has moved toward the European model of social unionism and away from American business unionism
Business unionism
A business union is a description of a particular type of trade union, or of a trade union with particular characteristics. The meaning of business unionism has changed over a period of time. The term is believed to be of American derivation, and has been applied in particular to phenomena...
.
In the case Fullowka et al. v. Royal Oak Ventures Inc
Royal Oak Mines
Royal Oak Mines Incorporated was a gold mining company, founded in 1990 by Margaret "Peggy" Witte in Kirkland, Washington....
, held in the aftermath of an 18 month strike at Royal Oak Mines in Yellowknife, the CAW was originally held responsible for 22% of damages at trial, before CAW was successful on appeal. The trial judge found that the union breached its duty of care by doing nothing to stop illegal acts during the strike, paying fines and legal fees for striking miners, providing a person to assist the miners' union who prolonged the strike, and failing to bargain in good faith. At trial, the court ruled that the cumulative effect of these breaches of the duty of care were found to have materially contributed to Roger Warren
Roger Warren
Roger Warren is a former miner who was convicted of nine counts of second-degree murder in connection to the September 18, 1992 Giant Mine bombings at Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada...
's bombing of the mine, which killed nine strikebreaking workers. Warren, a union member who had been fired from Royal Oak, testified that he was only capable of the bombing because strike-breakers had been "dehumanized" by the union and was sentenced to life in prison. However, these findings of liability were overturned on appeal by the Northwest Territories Court of Appeal and a decision by the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
is pending. Furthermore, CAW members Al Shearing and Tim Bettger were sentenced to two and a half and three years in prison, respectively. Both were convicted of painting anti-scab graffiti and setting an explosion in a ventilation shaft on June 29, 1992. Bettger was sentenced to an additional six months in prison for blowing a hole in a television satellite dish September 1 of that year. (The unioned miners were part of the Canadian Association of Smelter and Allied Workers union (CASAW) Local 4 at the time of the strike, and merged into the CAW on May 1994.)
In 1998, the CAW was deeply involved in discussions with Volvo Canada LTD.
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
and the Government of Nova Scotia
Government of Nova Scotia
The Government of Nova Scotia refers to the provincial government of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
over the closure of the Volvo Halifax Assembly
Volvo Halifax Assembly
The Volvo Halifax Assembly Plant located in Halifax, Nova Scotia was opened on 11 June 1963 by H.R.H Prince Bertil. It was the only North American assembly plant Volvo ever opened. Volvo decided to open to the plant to bypass hefty North American import tariffs on foreign goods and to capitalize...
plant. In 2000, the CAW was expelled from the Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
when several union locals left the SEIU and joined the CAW, prompting accusations of union raiding. A settlement was reached a year later that allowed the CAW to rejoin the national labour federation but relations with other unions such as the Canadian Union of Public Employees
Canadian Union of Public Employees
The Canadian Union of Public Employees is a Canadian trade union serving the public sector - although it has in recent years organized workplaces in the non-profit and para-public sector as well...
, the United Steel Workers of America and SEIU remain strained and the CAW remains outside of the Ontario Federation of Labour
Ontario Federation of Labour
The Ontario Federation of Labour is a prominent federation of labour unions in the Canadian province of Ontario. The original OFL was established by the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1944...
.
The CAW's relationship with other unions has also been strained due to its different political direction. The CAW is strongly left leaning and it has traditionally been a strong supporter of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(NDP) and the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
(Bloc). However, under former leader Buzz Hargrove
Buzz Hargrove
Basil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove, OC is the former National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union...
, it began lending its support to the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in ridings which the NDP were unlikely to win in the recent federal elections.
The CAW has attempted several times, all unsuccessful, to organize Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada
Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. is a Canadian automotive manufacturer and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corporation...
. TMMC Assistant General Manager and spokesman Greig Mordue stated "Our team members will decide whether or not a union best reflects their interest... At this point in time, we don't think they have anything to gain from a union", and described the defeat of the union drive saying "Our team members have recognized that a third party represents a complication they don't need." Despite this, however, the CAW supported Mordue as the Liberal candidate in the 2006 federal election instead of endorsing the NDP's Zoe Kunschner. Mordue attempted to take credit for bringing the new plant to Woodstock, but lost to Conservative incumbent Dave MacKenzie.
The 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
saw the governing Liberals lose power, despite CAW support. Afterwards, the Ontario NDP voted to expel Hargrove for supporting the Liberals, which automatically suspended his membership in the federal party. The CAW retaliated by severing all union ties with the NDP, a move formalized at the CAW's 2006 convention.
2008-2010 Automotive Crisis
Industry analyst Anthony Faria has criticized the labour contracts that Canadian Auto Workers then-president Buzz HargroveBuzz Hargrove
Basil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove, OC is the former National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union...
negotiated with the Big Three US automobile manufacturers
Big Three automobile manufacturers
The Big Three, when used in relation to the automotive industry, most generally refers to the three major American automotive companies:Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler...
in 2007, predicting that the subprime mortgage crisis
Subprime mortgage crisis
The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis was one of the first indicators of the late-2000s financial crisis, characterized by a rise in subprime mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, and the resulting decline of securities backed by said mortgages....
and currency would hit Canadian auto production especially hard. Faria noted that UAW president Ron Gettelfinger
Ron Gettelfinger
Ronald A. Gettelfinger was the president of the United Auto Workers from 2002 to 2010.Gettelfinger started his union involvement in 1964 in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Louisville Assembly Plant run by Ford Motor Company while working as a chassis line repairman...
agreed to have the UAW's "all-in" wage, benefit and pension costs drop from a high of $75.86 per hour in 2007 to an average of about $51 per hour starting in 2010. By comparison, the CAW's cost per hour was $77 in 2007 and will rise to over $80 per hour by the end of the new contract. Faria said that Gettelfinger went into negotiations "with the right intention...Save jobs. The CAW strategy was to squeeze every dime out of them." Hargrove was said to have "instilled backbone and an attitude that the union could always make the auto makers buckle at the bargaining table".
Current union president Ken Lewenza
Ken Lewenza, Sr.
Ken Lewenza, Sr. is the National President of the Canadian Auto Workers union, having been acclaimed at that organization's national convention on September 6, 2008. He was previously the president of the Canadian Auto Workers, Local 444 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada...
has argued that labour is not responsible for the bankruptcy crisis facing the Big Three automakers, saying that his members would not make concessions part of any taxpayer-funded bailout. "We don't see this as us being the problem", Lewenza said, adding he would "absolutely not" accept any further cuts after losing tens of thousands of jobs in recent years. "We've suffered our share of pain."
Lawenza argued that the CAW agreed in 2007 to make concessions that will save the Big Three $900 million over three years.
A spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation
Canadian Taxpayers Federation
The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is a Canadian federally incorporated, non-profit organization and taxpayers union that claims to have over 70,000 supporters across Canada. The organization advocates lower taxes, and a reduction of what it considers to be waste in government...
has criticized the CAW's "no-concession" stance, saying that it only serves to strengthen the opposition to a taxpayer-funded bailout for the struggling Detroit Three automakers. The CTF further pointed out that "It is especially difficult to understand anyone asking for government help that refuses to do anything to help itself to begin with", since they "fail to realize they've existed at the substantial largesse of taxpayers for decades". Kelly McParland, a columnist for the National Post
National Post
The National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, has suggested that "if he won't give anything, he and his members are likely to lose everything." He also said that the problem facing the North American auto industry was borne equally by management and labour alike, criticizing labour for building up pay and benefits for themselves that was as unsustainable as it was enviable, while attacking management for its short-term strategy of selling gas-guzzling trucks and sales tactics (price cuts, rebates, free gas and cash-back schemes).
The CTF has opposed the proposed $3.5 CAD billion bailout for Canadian subsidiaries of the Big Three, saying that it was an unfair financial burden on the average Canadian, as well as another excuse for the Detroit automakers to postpone much needed change. The CTF noted that federal and provincial governments spent $782-million in the past five years on the Big Three, saying "These have been a bottomless pit of requests for cash". Lewenza disagreed, saying that the bailout should be seen by Canadians as a loan that will be paid back when the country's economy is prosperous again.
On December 20, the government of Canada and 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....
province offered $3.3 billion in loans to the auto industry. Under the plan GM
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
will receive $3 billion and 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....
will receive the rest. Ford only asked for a line of credit but will not be participating in the bailout.
The CAW negotiated a cost-cutting deal with General Motors Canada on March 8, 2009. The deal would extend the current contract for an additional year to September 2012, and preserves the current average assembly-worker base pay of about $34 an hour. It would eliminate a $1,700 annual "special bonus," and reduce special paid absences or "SPA days" from two weeks to one week a year, while maintaining vacation entitlements which range up to six weeks a year for high-seniority workers. The deal also introduce payments by members toward their health benefits - $30 monthly per family for workers and $15 a month for pensioners. Lewenza said it also would trim by 35 per cent company contributions to union-provided programs such as child care and wellness programs. Lewenza called the package a "major sacrifice." However, observers noted that the deal did not go far enough; Dominion Bond Rating Service
Dominion Bond Rating Service
DBRS is a credit rating agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1976 by its current owner and president, Walter Schroeder, it is the largest rating agency in Canada....
analyst Kam Hon described it as "not material." Automotive industry consultant Dennis DesRosiers said that General Motors had missed the chance to slash labour costs, pointing out that bankruptcy was a looming threat, Ottawa and Queen's Park demanded cuts to the labour bill as a condition of the bailout, and that the deficit to the pension fund would prevent the CAW from striking. He stimated the total hourly cost of a GM Canada worker, including benefits, is $75 to $78, and saying that "they [GM] got six or seven." when it should have been cut by $20. DesRosiers also said giving up cost-of-living increases is not significant when inflation is nearly non-existent and added that the 40-hour reduction in paid time off
Paid time off
Paid time off is a feature in some employee agreements that provides a "resource" of hours that an employee can draw from to take time off from work, without having to specify a reason....
merely means "five fewer spa days." University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
professor Joe D'Cruz calculated that it would save $148 million a year, though GM is seeking $6 billion in Canadian government support.
CAW autoworkers with seniority were able to maintain 10 weeks of vacation with full pay, while not contributing to their pension fund, relying instead on taxpayers (including these without pensions) to help make up their unfunded liabilities.
The agreement is contingent on Canada being allocated 20% of GM's North American, and getting billions of dollars in federal and provincial taxpayer support, which Lewenza stressed will be loans. However, some suggested that this would not be the final time that automakers would request a bailout.
Dennis DesRosiers estimated that GM will go through its government loans in a couple of quarters, long before any recovery in the market. Furthermore, GM Canada president Arturo Elias had admitted to MP Frank Valeriote
Frank Valeriote
Frank Valeriote is a Canadian politician. He is the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Guelph.-Background:...
that GM had pledged all its assets worldwide to the U.S. government in order to secure the first tranche of a US$30 billion loan, leaving no assets to collateralize the $6 billion loan from the Canadian government. The Canadian Taxpayers' Federation noted that between 1982 and 2005, Ottawa handed out over $18.2 billion to corporations, of which only $7.1 billion was repayable, and only $1.3 billion was ever repaid.
Chrysler vice-chairman and president Thomas W. LaSorda
Thomas W. LaSorda
Thomas W. LaSorda, often known as Tom LaSorda, is a Canadian-American automobile industry executive who served as CEO and President of the Chrysler Group....
(himself the son of a CAW official) and Ford's chief of manufacturing Joe Hinrichs said that the GM-CAW deal was insufficient, suggesting that they would break the CAW's negotiating pattern set by GM. LaSorda told the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
finance committee that he would demand an hourly wage cut of $20, suggested that Chrysler may withdraw from Canada if it fails to achieve more substantial cost savings from the CAW.
On March 31, 2009, the Canadian federal and Ontario governments jointly rejected the restructuring plans submitted by GM and Chrysler. This came a day after US President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
had rejected the plans of their parent companies. Both federal Industry Minister Tony Clement
Tony Clement
Tony Peter Clement, PC, MP is a Canadian federal politician, President of the Treasury Board, Minister for the Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario and member of the Conservative Party of Canada....
and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty
Dalton McGuinty
Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....
suggested the CAW's initial deal was insufficient in cutting costs and the union had return to the bargaining table to make further concessions. Both governments maintained that these were needed to make the business viable in order justify the use of taxpayers' money.
Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
CEO Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne
Sergio Marchionne is an international manager best known for his turnaround of the Italian automotive group Fiat and, more recently, for managing the US automotive group Chrysler from bankruptcy to profitability...
has asked that CAW wages be reduced to the levels of non-unionized workers from Honda and Toyota operating in Canada, or else they would walk away from the proposed alliance with Chrysler, resulting in the latter being forced into bankruptcy.
CAW leaders
Canadian Directors of the UAW- Charles MillardCharles MillardCharles Hibbert Millard was a Canadian trade union activist and politician.-Early life:He was born in St...
(1937–1939) - George BurtGeorge Burt (Canada)George Burt was Canadian Director of the United Auto Workers from 1939 to 1968.His father was a brickmaker and active trade unionist. Burt worked as an apprentice plumber before getting a job on the General Motors assembly line in Oshawa, Ontario in 1929...
(1939–1968) - Dennis McDermottDennis McDermottDennis McDermott, O.Ont was a Canadian trade unionist, Canadian Director of the United Auto Workers from 1968 to 1978 and president of the Canadian Labour Congress from 1978 to 1986....
(1968–1978) - Bob White (1978–1985)
Presidents of the Canadian Auto Workers
- Bob White (1985–1992)
- Buzz HargroveBuzz HargroveBasil Eldon "Buzz" Hargrove, OC is the former National President of the Canadian Auto Workers trade union...
(1992–2008) - Ken LewenzaKen Lewenza, Sr.Ken Lewenza, Sr. is the National President of the Canadian Auto Workers union, having been acclaimed at that organization's national convention on September 6, 2008. He was previously the president of the Canadian Auto Workers, Local 444 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada...
(2008–present)
Major CAW employers
Major auto
- General Motors of Canada – Local 195, 199, 222, 636, 1001,
- Ford Motor Company of CanadaFord Motor CompanyFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
– Local 200CAW Local 200CAW Local 200 is a local union of the Canadian Auto Workers union . It represents workers in Windsor, Ontario at three Ford of Canada engine plants, , & the Annex/LVL/3-Valve, and one Nemak aluminum casting plant .- Presidents :# Roy England...
, 240, 707, 1520 - Chrysler CanadaChrysler CanadaChrysler Canada Incorporated is Chrysler's Canadian subsidiary. Incorporated in 1925, the Chrysler Corporation of Canada gained complete control of a Maxwell-Chalmers plant in Windsor Ontario that had been used to manufacture some Chrysler models in the previous year...
– Local 144, 195, 432, 444CAW Local 444The Canadian Auto Workers, Local 444 is an amalgamated local union affiliated to the Canadian Auto Workers national union. Originally founded in 1942 as the Chrysler Division of UAW Local 195, Local 444 became a stand-alone union in 1956.Based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, CAW Local 444...
, 1090, 1285CAW Local 1285Canadian Auto Workers Local 1285 is anamalgamated 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.... - CAMI AutomotiveCAMI AutomotiveCAMI Automotive, originally known as Canadian Automotive Manufacturing Inc., was an independently incorporated joint venture of automobile manufacturing in Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada and formed the third step of GM's three-pronged initiative of the mid-1980s to capture and practice the Japanese...
– Local 88
Aerospace
- Pratt and Whitney – Local 510
- BombardierBombardier AerospaceBombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
/de HavillandDe Havilland CanadaThe de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. company was an aircraft manufacturer with facilities based in what is now the Downsview area of Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
– Local 112 - Boeing Canada – Local 1967, CAW Local 2169
- CMC ElectronicsCMC ElectronicsCMC Electronics Inc. is a Canadian electronics company. The company's corporate head office is located in Montreal, Quebec, with additional facilities located in Ottawa, Ontario and Sugar Grove, Illinois.- History :...
- IMP GroupIMP GroupThe IMP Group International is a diversified company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia founded in 1967 by industrialist Kenneth Rowe. IMP employs approximately 3,800 people...
- Magellan AerospaceMagellan AerospaceMagellan Aerospace Corporation is a Canadian manufacturer of aerospace systems and components. Magellan also repairs and overhauls, tests, and provides aftermarket support services for engines, and engine structural components. The company's business units are divided into the product areas of...
/BristolBristolBristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
– Local 3005 - Cascade Aerospace Inc - CAW Local 114
Specialty vehicles
- GM/General DynamicsGeneral DynamicsGeneral Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
(London) – Local 27 - Navistar InternationalNavistar InternationalNavistar International Corporation is a United States-based holding company that owns the manufacturer of International brand commercial trucks, MaxxForce brand diesel engines, IC Bus school and commercial buses, Workhorse brand chassis for motor homes and step vans, and is a private label...
(Chatham) - BombardierBombardier AerospaceBombardier Aerospace is a division of Bombardier Inc. and is the third-largest airplane manufacturer in the world. It is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada.- History :...
(Thunder Bay/Kingston) - New Flyer IndustriesNew Flyer IndustriesNew Flyer Industries Inc. is a bus manufacturer in North America, headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It also has factories in Crookston and St. Cloud, Minnesota, USA.-History:...
(Winnipeg) – Local 3003 - PaccarPACCARPACCAR Inc is the third largest manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks in the world , and has substantial manufacture in light and medium vehicles through its various subsidiaries.-History:...
/KenworthKenworthKenworth is an American manufacturer of medium and heavy-duty Class 8 trucks based in Kirkland, Washington, United States, a suburb of Seattle. It is a subsidiary of PACCAR, and is also a former manufacturer of transit buses and school buses.-History:...
(Que.)
Shipbuilding
- Halifax ShipyardHalifax ShipyardThe Halifax Shipyard Limited is a Canadian shipbuilding company located in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Irving Shipbuilding Inc...
– CAW/MWF Local 1 - Marystown Shipyard
- Shelburne Ship Repair
Electrical and electronics
- CamcoCAMCOCAMCO or Camco may refer to:* Camco, Tibet* Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company, a defunct aircraft manufacturer* Capital Acquisitions and Management Corporation, a defunct debt collection company...
- General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
– Local 3003 - WestinghouseWestinghouse Electric (1886)Westinghouse Electric was an American manufacturing company. It was founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. The company purchased CBS in 1995 and became CBS Corporation in 1997...
- Nortel Networks
General manufacturing
- Collins and Aikman Plastics
- Coca Cola Bottling Co. — Local 126 Local 350 Local 385 Local 973
- MTD ProductsMTD ProductsMTD Products is a manufacturer of outdoor power equipment for the mass market. Based in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, the company began in 1932 and is a family-owned, private company. It originated as a tool and die maker...
- Atlas Steels
- Collins and Aikman Plastics
- Honeywell Specialty Chemicals AmherstburgHoneywellHoneywell International, Inc. is a major conglomerate company that produces a variety of consumer products, engineering services, and aerospace systems for a wide variety of customers, from private consumers to major corporations and governments....
— Local 89 - Kautex Textron
- McGregor Hosiery Mills – Local 40
- ParmalatParmalatParmalat SpA is a multinational Italian dairy and food corporation. Having become the leading global company in the production of ultra high temperature milk, the company collapsed in 2003 with a €14 billion hole in its accounts in what remains Europe's biggest bankruptcy...
– Local 462 - Nestlé EnterprisesNestléNestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
– Local 252 - Bazaar and Novelty – Local 462
- Guelph Products
- LTV Copperweld – Local 636
- PepsiCo Foods – Local 1996
- St. Anne Nackawic Pulp Co. – Local 219
- Scanwood Canada Ltd. - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
- Selkirk Canada Corporation Stoney Creek facility – Local 504
Air transportation
- Air Canada and RegionalAir CanadaAir Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
– Local 2002 - NavCanada – Local 2245, 5454, 1016
- Worldwide Flight ServicesWorldwide Flight ServicesWorldwide Flight Services is an aviation company based in Roissy-en-France, France that provides cargo, ground and technical services at airports. The company was founded in 1983.-Network:...
– Local 2002 - Handlex (Air TransatAir TransatAir Transat is an airline based in Saint-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, operating scheduled and charter flights, serving 60 destinations in 25 countries. The airline is owned and operated by Transat A.T. Inc. During the summer season its main destinations are Europe and in the winter season the...
) – Local 2002 - First AirFirst AirBradley Air Services Limited, operating as First Air, is an airline headquartered in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. It operates services to 30 communities in Nunavut, Nunavik, and the Northwest Territories. The majority of its fleet is available for charters worldwide...
– Local 2002
Railways
- Canadian National RailwayCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
– Local 100, National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry... - Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific RailwayThe Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
– Local 101, 103,104 - Ontario Northland RailwayOntario Northland RailwayThe Ontario Northland Railway is a Canadian railway operated by the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, a provincial Crown agency of the government of Ontario....
- Local 102 - Savage Alberta RailwaySavage Alberta RailwaySavage Alberta Railway , known as Alberta RailNet between 1999 and 2005, was a Canadian short line railway that operated in the province of Alberta until late 2006.-History:...
– National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry... - Toronto Terminal Railways - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
- Via Rail Canada – National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
, Local 100 - WABCO Stoney Creek - CAW Local 558
Marine transportation
- Bay FerriesBay FerriesBay Ferries Limited, referred to simply as Bay Ferries, is a ferry company operating in eastern Canada and the United States and is headquartered in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island...
, Saint John, NB-Digby, NS - Local 4404 - St. Lawrence Seaway – Local 4212
- Marine AtlanticMarine AtlanticMarine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian Crown corporation offering ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St...
Other transportation
- Coast Mountain Bus CompanyCoast Mountain Bus CompanyCoast Mountain Bus Company is the contract operator for bus transit services in Metro Vancouver and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the South Coast British Columbia Transportation Authority known locally as TransLink, the entity responsible for transit...
, Greater Vancouver – Local 111CAW Local 111The CAW Local 111 is a local union of the Canadian Auto Workers union. It represents the 3300 conventional and community bus operators for Coast Mountain Bus Company in Metro Vancouver. CAW Local 111 was formed from the remnants of the Independent Canadian Transit Union, which had acrimoniously...
, 2200 - CNCanadian National RailwayThe Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
Transportation Ltd. (CNTL - trucking) - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry... - Coyote Terminals - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
- DHLDHLDHL Express is a division of the German logistics company Deutsche Post providing international express mail services. DHL is a world market leader in sea and air mail....
(Loomis) Courier – Local 114, 144, 4050, 4278, National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry... - Durham Region TransitDurham Region TransitDurham Region Transit is the regional public transit operator in Durham Region, east of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are at 605 Rossland Rd East in Whitby, Ontario, and there are regional centres in Ajax, Whitby, and Oshawa.-Overview:...
- Local 222 - Grand River TransitGrand River TransitGrand River Transit, or GRT, is the public transport operator for the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. It operates daily bus services in the region, primarily in the cities of Kitchener, Waterloo, and Cambridge....
- Local 4304 - LaidlawLaidlawLaidlaw, organized as Laidlaw International, Inc. , was a predecessor corporation of First Student , a US subsidiary of the Scottish transport firm FirstGroup plc...
(carrier and transit) – Local 195, 4268 - Blue Line Taxi, Ottawa
- Waste Management Inc – Local 4050, 4209, 4268
- BC TransitBC TransitBC Transit is a provincial crown agency responsible for coordinating the delivery of public transportation within British Columbia, Canada, outside of Greater Vancouver...
, Victoria – Local 333 - Reimer Express Lines – Local 4209
- Brinks - CAW Local 504
- SecuricorSecuricorSecuricor plc was one of the United Kingdom's largest security businesses. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with Group 4 Falck in 2004.-History:...
Cash Services – Local 114
Fisheries
- East Coast fish harvesters – FFAW/CAWFish, Food and Allied Workers UnionThe Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union is a trade union in Newfoundland and Labrador that represents 20,000 workers. Most of the members are in the fishing industry but the FFAW also has organized workers in the hotel, hospitality, brewing, metal fabrication, window manufacturing and oil...
- East Coast fish plant workers – FFAW/CAWFish, Food and Allied Workers UnionThe Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union is a trade union in Newfoundland and Labrador that represents 20,000 workers. Most of the members are in the fishing industry but the FFAW also has organized workers in the hotel, hospitality, brewing, metal fabrication, window manufacturing and oil...
- West Coast fish harvesters and fish plant workers (UFAWU)
- Great Lakes fish harvesters and fish plant workers – Local 444CAW Local 444The Canadian Auto Workers, Local 444 is an amalgamated local union affiliated to the Canadian Auto Workers national union. Originally founded in 1942 as the Chrysler Division of UAW Local 195, Local 444 became a stand-alone union in 1956.Based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, CAW Local 444...
Mining and smelting
- XstrataXstrataXstrata plc is a global mining company headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is a major producer of coal , copper, nickel, primary vanadium and zinc and the world's largest producer of ferrochrome...
– Local 598 - AlcanAlcanRio Tinto Alcan Inc. is a Canadian company based in Montreal. It was created on November 15, 2007 as the result of the merger between Rio Tinto PLC's Canadian subsidiary, Rio Tinto Canada Holding Inc., and Canadian company Alcan Inc. On the same date, Alcan Inc. was renamed Rio Tinto Alcan Inc..Rio...
– Local 2301 - NVI Mining - Local 3019
- Windsor Salt – Local 1959
- Gibraltar Mines – Local 3018
Hospitality and gaming
- Canadian Pacific/FairmontFairmont Hotels and ResortsFairmont Hotels & Resorts is a Canadian-based operator of luxury hotels and resorts. Currently, Fairmont operates properties in 18 countries including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Bermuda, Barbados, United Kingdom, Monaco, Germany, Switzerland, Egypt, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, the...
/Delta HotelsDelta HotelsDelta Hotels is a chain of 45 hotels and resorts across Canada, primarily in the 4 star range of standard. Delta once had a hotel in the United States, the Delta Court of Flags Hotel, located in Orlando, Florida, however, it was closed sometime after 1996 and has subsequently been demolished...
– Local 4050 - Caesars WindsorCaesars WindsorCaesars Windsor in Windsor, Ontario is one of four casinos in the Detroit–Windsor area. Owned by the government of the province of Ontario , it is operated by Caesars Entertainment. Both the original Casino Windsor and the new expansion were designed by WZMH Architects...
– Local 444CAW Local 444The Canadian Auto Workers, Local 444 is an amalgamated local union affiliated to the Canadian Auto Workers national union. Originally founded in 1942 as the Chrysler Division of UAW Local 195, Local 444 became a stand-alone union in 1956.Based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, CAW Local 444... - White Spot Restaurants
- Radisson HotelsRadisson HotelsRadisson Hotels is one of the leading, full-service global hotel companies with more than 420 locations in 73 countries. The first Radisson Hotel was built in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1909, and was named after the 17th-century French explorer Pierre-Esprit Radisson...
– Local 195, 3000, 4209 - Kentucky Fried Chicken – Local 3000
- Rocky Mountain Catering Co. Ltd. - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
- Sheraton Hotels and ResortsSheraton Hotels and ResortsSheraton Hotels and Resorts is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide's largest and second oldest brand . Starwood's headquarters are in White Plains, New York.-Sheraton history:...
- Northern Lights CasinoNorthern Lights CasinoNorthern Lights Casino, is a casino located in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada. The facility includes a Casino , lounge, and restaurant opened in 1996....
- Marriott Hotels
- World Trade and Convention CentreWorld Trade and Convention CentreThe World Trade and Convention Centre is a convention centre/office complex in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is adjacent to the Halifax Metro Centre....
Halifax - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry... - Great Blue Heron Casino Port Perry - Local 1090
- OLG Casino Brantford – Local 504
Retail and wholesale trade
- Atlantic Wholesalers (Loblaw Companies) Moncton - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
- Dominion Stores/A&P CanadaA&P CanadaA&P Canada was a Canadian supermarket company from 1927 to 2009.In 1927, A&P opened its first stores in Canada. By 1929, A&P was present in 200 communities in Ontario and Quebec....
/Superfresh – Local 414 - Food BasicsFood BasicsFood Basics is a discount Canadian supermarket chain owned by Metro Inc. and with all stores within Ontario. It was created by A&P Canada to compete with the successful No Frills warehouse-style supermarket operated by Loblaw Companies...
– Local 414 - LoblawsLoblawsLoblaws is a supermarket chain with over 70 stores in Canada, headquartered in Brampton, with stores across Ontario and Quebec. Loblaws is a division of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor...
- Local 414 - No FrillsNo Frills (grocery store)No Frills is a chain of deep discount supermarkets in Canada, owned by Loblaw Companies Limited, a subsidiary of George Weston Limited...
– Local 414 - PharmaPlus
- Results 360 Moncton Logistics Inc. (Freezer warehouse logistics) - Moncton - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry...
- Sav-a-Centre – Local 414
- Sears CanadaSears CanadaSears Canada Inc. is a retailer, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that operates in all provinces and territories across Canada with a network of 196 corporate stores, 195 dealer stores, 38 home improvement showrooms, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and...
- The BayThe BayThe Bay is a chain of 91 department stores that operate across parts of Canada. It is the main brand of Hudson's Bay Company , North America's oldest company. It has its headquarters in the Simpson Tower in Toronto. In French, the chain is known as la Baie, short for "Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson"...
/ZellersZellersZellers Inc. is Canada's second-largest chain of mass merchandise discount stores, with locations in communities across Canada. A subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company , it has 273 locations across the country....
– Local 240 - Valu-martValu-martValu-mart is a chain of supermarkets based in Ontario, Canada. It is a unit of National Grocers, itself a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor....
– Local 414 - Your Independent GrocerYour Independent GrocerYour Independent Grocer is a supermarket chain based in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is a unit of National Grocers, itself a unit of Loblaw Companies Limited, Canada's largest food distributor. Stores are typically operated by a franchise owner. Many of the stores were originally...
- Local 414
Health care
- Cape Breton District Health Authority
- St. Joseph's Health Care, LondonLondon, OntarioLondon is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
– Local 27 - Versa Care Homes – Local 302, 830, 2458
- London Health Sciences CentreLondon Health Sciences CentreLondon Health Sciences Centre is a major teaching hospital in London, Ontario, Canada.It operates three hospital facilities:*University Hospital,*Victoria Hospital, and*South Street Hospital.-External links:* - Official site....
- Grand River HospitalGrand River HospitalGrand River Hospital is a 495-bed hospital serving Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada and surrounding communities, primarily through the K-W Health Centre and the Freeport Health Centre, both located in Kitchener...
– Local 302 - Camp Hill Medical Centre, Halifax
- Extendicare Homes – Local 302, 830, 1120, 2458
- Homes for the Aged, Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
– Local 229 - Glazier Health Centre, OshawaOshawaOshawa is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the Lake Ontario shoreline. It lies in Southern Ontario approximately 60 kilometres east of downtown Toronto. It is commonly viewed as the eastern anchor of both the Greater Toronto Area and the Golden Horseshoe. It is now commonly referred to as the most...
- Local 1136 - Sault Area Hospitals – Local 1120
- Hotel Dieu Grace Hospital – Local 2458
- Windsor Regional Hospital – Local 2458
- Northwood Care, Halifax - CAW Local 4606
- St. Joseph's Care Group, Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
– Local 27, 229, 598, 1120 - OrngeOrngeOrnge is the air ambulance service for the province of Ontario and for the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care...
– Local 2002
General services
- Allstream (formerly AT&T Canada)
- Green Shield Services– Local 240
- McMaster UniversityMcMaster UniversityMcMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
- CAW Local 555 - Montreal-area auto dealerships
- Nova Scotia Federation of LabourNova Scotia Federation of LabourThe Nova Scotia Federation of Labour is the Nova Scotia provincial trade union federation of the Canadian Labour Congress.It was founded in 1956, and has a membership of 70,000. Its conventions are held every two years, normally in October...
Support Staff - National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000CAW National Council 4000 is the umbrella organization for five regionally based CAW Local Unions across Canada that represent over 5,000 members in various sectors, largely within the railway and transportation industry... - Scandinavian Centre (B.C.)
- University of ManitobaUniversity of ManitobaThe University of Manitoba , in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is the largest university in the province of Manitoba. It is Manitoba's most comprehensive and only research-intensive post-secondary educational institution. It was founded in 1877, making it Western Canada’s first university. It placed...
- Local 3007 - University of WindsorUniversity of WindsorThe University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
– Local 2458 - Windsor StarWindsor StarThe Windsor Star is the regional newspaper of Windsor, Ontario , and is owned by the Postmedia Network Inc. Since 1923, the publication's main office is located at 167 Ferry Street in the downtown area...
– Local 240
Films
CAW President Bob White plays a major role in the 1985 documentary film: Final OfferFinal Offer
Final Offer is a Canadian film documenting the 1984 contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers Union and GM. Ultimately, it provided a historical record of the birth of the Canadian Auto Workers Union as Bob White, then head of the Canadian sector of the UAW, led his membership out of...
by Sturla Gunnarsson & Robert Collision. It follows the 1984 contract negotiations with General Motors that saw the CAW's birth, and split with the UAW. It's an interesting look at life on the shop floor of a car factory, along with the art of business negotiation.
Donation to the University of Windsor
The CAW Local 200 donated over $4 million towards the renovation of the University of WindsorUniversity of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
's student union building, which was renamed the CAW Student Centre in 1991 as recognition of the gift.
External links
- Canadian Auto Workers Official Website
- History of the CAW by Sam Gindin
- The CAW and Magna: Disorganizing the Working Class by Sam Gindin
- Critical view of the CAW and Magna Agreement by various authors.