We write to update you on the charge that former National President Jerry Dias breached the Unifor Constitution.

Acting on advice from legal counsel, Unifor has delivered to Toronto Police the money that was given to Unifor in connection with the complaint that Jerry Dias violated the Code of Ethics in the Unifor Constitution. It will now be for Toronto Police to decide whether to investigate any matter connected to that money, and Unifor has no role in that decision. Unifor is not making further public comment on this matter at this time.

As communicated, Unifor obtained the funds in late January when it received a complaint that Dias had accepted money from a third-party supplier that he had introduced to employers of Unifor members.

An independent, external investigator determined that on a balance of probabilities the interaction with the supplier breached  Article 4, Code of Ethics and Democratic Practices, of the Unifor Constitution. This did not involve any Unifor finances.

Based on the findings, Dias now stands charged with violating the Unifor Constitution. As outlined in the Unifor Constitution, a hearing will be held before the National Executive Board (NEB) where Dias will be provided the opportunity to present information and arguments concerning the charge.

The NEB will meet in the near future to determine next steps for that hearing.

In Solidarity,
Lana Payne, National Secretary Treasurer
Renaud Gagne, Quebec Director
Naureen Rizvi, Ontario Regional Director
Linda MacNeil, Atlantic Regional Director
Gavin McGarrigle, Western Regional Director

OSHAWA—Unifor welcomes today’s announcement that federal and provincial investments for General Motors have been finalized and will help secure a third shift at the Oshawa plant and Canada’s first full assembly line retool to build electric commercial vehicles in Ingersoll.

“This is a proud moment for Unifor members at General Motors,” said Shane Wark Unifor Assistant to the National President. “Today’s funding announcement was years in the making and shows how much we can accomplish when autoworkers, automakers, and governments work together.”

The federal and provincial government have now finalized funding agreements of $259 million each as part of the General Motors $2 billion investment in both plants. The investments deliver on promises made to Unifor during consecutive rounds of collective bargaining negotiations with General Motors in 2020 and 2021.

In Oshawa, plans are in place to commence production of light-duty Silverado trucks and add a third shift at the plant this summer bringing the total number of direct jobs to 2,600.

“Adding a third shift at GM Oshawa is great news for workers and their families. These investments are vital to making our city, the region and the auto sector as a whole much stronger,” said Jason Gale, Local 222 Plant Chairperson in Oshawa.

The funding will also support the re-tooling of GM’s CAMI Assembly Plant in Ingersoll, which will become Canada’s first mass-market producer of electric commercial vans. Unifor members will begin assembling the automaker’s new line of BrightDrop electric delivery vehicles by the end of this year.

“CAMI workers are leading the way with Canada’s first fully electric vehicle assembly line. Today’s announcement means a very bright future for our members, our community and all of southwestern Ontario,” said Mike Van Boekel, Unifor Local 88 Plant Chairperson at CAMI.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.

TORONTO–Striking Metro Distribution Centre workers will vote Friday April 8, 2022 on a tentative agreement reached between Unifor Local 414 and the company.

The more than 900 full-time workers at four distribution centre locations in Toronto’s west end began strike action on April 2 after voting to turn down a prior agreement.

The warehouse distribution centre locations in Etobicoke supply Metro and Food Basics grocery stores across southern Ontario along the Kingston – Windsor corridor.

Details of the collective agreement will not be released prior to ratification.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector and represents 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.