Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union president Basil a.k.a. Buzz Hargrove is stepping down early. Although Buzz was expected to retire when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 65 next year, he's now leaving "soon after" the union selects his successor this summer. His hand-picked heir-apparent is the equally-outspoken not-to-say borderline-militant Ken Lewenza, current president of Windsor, Ontario Local 444. Buzz is leaving amid the controversy we've all come know and love; rumors say the national executive board is pressuring their staff to support Lewenza's bid. The Victoria Times Colonist quotes columnist Gord Henderson, who describes Buzz' golden boy as having a "Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde persona" whose "flights of rhetoric are a wonder to behold, akin to watching Mount Vesuvius blow its stack." So we shouldn't run out of Lutz Award-worthy quotes from north of the border. With Canada's dubious distinction as the highest-priced labor force in the North American and auto industry manufacturers shutting down Canadian plants, Lewenza will have plenty opportunity to display his brand of "old-time table-thumping unionism." So don't go away; we'll be back with more!
Find Reviews by Make:
Read all comments
Is there any direct correlation between the highest priced NA labor force and measurable quality and productivity? Good value, bad value, or a push?
There is a good rumour here in Ontario that Buzz will run in the next federal elections as a Liberal candidate! Time will tell, the next election has to be by Oct.2009 but it could happen before then as the present Tory government is in a Minority position and could fall at any time, right now they all our enjoying a long summer recess.
wasn’t buzz’s name also mentioned for party leadership for a while?
i forget if it was provincial or federal…
either way, good to see Buzz away from the caw. should have happened 10+ years ago…
Lewenza makes Hargrove look like a choir boy. Lewenza has a habit of just losing it and yelling and screaming no matter what the occasion. This is going to be interesting.
rat…sinking ship…2+2…
cleek Says:
Is there any direct correlation between the highest priced NA labor force and measurable quality and productivity? Good value, bad value, or a push?
Maybe. Oshawa (GM) and Cambridge (Toyota) are the highest-quality North American plants for their respective parent companies. Oakville (Ford) and Alliston (Honda) are generally pretty good, too.
I don’t think it’s a labour cost thing as much as an whole environment. The Canadian shops are less “poisonous” environments, for various reasons, and the plant management is not quite as brutal about cutting corners.
Another doughy white guy running a union….
This is going to provide years of entertainment for us. Oh yeah, he’ll kill off the rest of the auto jobs too.
OK:First off neither the CAW or Ontario has mandatory retirement.Buzz being Buzz has a plan.
Buzz has been in the buisness long enough to know when to walk away.Union politics is the most nasty of nasty politics there is.When its time to move on,you move on,or you get pushed.
As far as Buzz running as a Liberal MP? Unions
usually support the NDP.Thats the Canadian far left party run by a car hater and his anti car wife.
The CAW has strained relations with the NDP to say the least.Buzz as a Liberal is a bit of a reach though.
Lewenza seems to be the chosen one.Us in the rank and file don’t have a whole lot of input.
With the situation in the Canadian auto industry,we don’t have whole lot of time to dick around.If I was asked,I’d say lets put Lewenza behind the wheel.If we crash,we crash.This is not the time for a long drawn out divisive battle.
Always good to hear from Mikey and get the straight scoop from someone in the know.
It just looks to me that Buzz sees how the unionized auto plants are tanking, and he’s getting the heck out of dodge before his legacy becomes many more closing car and parts plants.
Mikey has that wrong.
Buzz has been in bed with the Lieberals for a few years now. He dumped the old NDP union party a few elections ago and the Dippers(NDPer’s)kicked him out of the party. Wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see Basil run as Lieberal in the next election. Of course by then the Ontario economy thanks to Buzz and premier McGuinty will be down the tubes.
Whoa! bluecon you think its McGuinty and Buzz are the bad guys?McGuinty been fully suportive of the Ontario car industry from day one.
What about the PCs?Well maybe they could have some input,if thier leader held an elected position eh?
Union democracy! We don’t need no stinking membership vote.
McGuinty is running Ontario and I am holding him responsible for the coming meltdown.
And Buzz is so full of it. Like the closing of Oshawa truck was such a surprise? GM converted the Mexican Silao plant to pickup truck production last year. No new transmissions for GM Windsor or new engines for Ford Windsor? Buzz chased away the investment. Buzz is retiring while the CAW members are reaping the sorry results of his leadership. And no it is not the federals government fault that union auto jobs are leaving Ontario. And Lewenza will make it worse.