Jerry Dias union leader

The investigation continues, and national executive board will meet on March 21 to discuss the matter, the union said.

“We hope to be a voice for working people. Dias went on medical leave in early February, writing on Twitter, “I am taking some time off to deal with some health issues. “Every Unifor member is held to the same standard and afforded the same rights under our constitution.” Article content Article content Article content

Former Unifor president who announced his retirement owing to medical issues on Sunday is also being investigated for an alleged breach of the union's ...

He added in the e-mail that he was also dealing with heart issues and was evaluating next steps with his cardiologist. I’m proud of the incredible work we did with the renegotiation of the new NAFTA. Mr. Dias wrote that he had been suffering from the condition since December, and was awaiting direction from a neurosurgeon. He has already been endorsed by much of the union’s national leadership team. Have the Top Business Headlines newsletter conveniently delivered to your inbox in the morning or evening. Mr. Dias went on medical leave on Feb. 6, and on March 11 he informed the union’s national executive board that he would retire, effective immediately. “Different versions of Brother Dias’s leave have been circulated and I believe this cloud of secrecy must be clarified by the officers,” Mr. Cassidy wrote. Vanmala Subramaniam is The Globe’s Future of Work reporter, email her at [email protected]. Instead, its constitution dictates that it call a special convention to elect a new president within 30 days of his departure. “I’m proud that 50% of all new hires are women. Last December, Ontario Premier Doug Ford tapped him to head the province’s Council on U.S. Trade and Industry Competitiveness, a task force set up to navigate American protectionist measures related to the auto industry. On Sunday, the union made public that Mr. Dias was leaving.

Jerry Dias, the former leader of Unifor, Canada's largest private sector union, is under investigation for an alleged breach of the union's constitution.

His work paid off — in 2020, GM announced it would reopen the plant, invest up to $1.3 billion and hire up to 1,700 workers. In his time as Unifor national president, Dias negotiated a deal with automaker General Motors to save hundreds of jobs at its Oshawa plant, which was previously slated to cease production. Dias said the union’s national executive board had endorsed his executive assistant Scott Doherty for president, and also noted Cassidy’s candidacy. Last Friday, he notified the Unifor executive board he would be retiring immediately, rather than waiting until August, at which time a new leader was to be elected at the union’s constitutional convention. Dias called for a boycott of General Motors vehicles made in Mexico as part of a campaign to save the plant, which employed around 2,600 Unifor workers by the end of 2019. In a Facebook post Tuesday morning, Cassidy wrote that he “asked very straightforward questions seeking the truth and transparency of what was occurring.” He said he is disappointed that the email was leaked, but that he stands by his position. No details were provided about the health condition that caused him to take time off. In an email informing Unifor staff of his retirement sent March 11, Dias said he had been living with heart issues for over a year and dealing with a “debilitating sciatic nerve issue since the end of December.” “He was pretty much a key player in establishing that new amalgamated union, but also in making sure that it gained a profile amongst the general population in Canada,” he said. “In order to ensure the integrity of the ongoing investigation and to maintain confidentiality in accordance with the Unifor Constitution, specifics of the complaint will not be divulged at this time,” a statement released by Unifor reads. “We appreciate that news of an investigation is shocking and troubling but want to assure that all appropriate steps were and are being taken as per our Constitution and while respecting the rights of all individuals involved in the process,” Unifor said in a statement to members. “We have a duty to our leadership and our dues paying members to explain in detail the circumstances surrounding our National President’s absence.”