Unifor National President Jerry Dias

The predecessor for the former national auto workers' union president says he's been left "disheartened" by new allegations against Jerry Dias — details ...

1 hr ago 1 hr ago 1 hr ago 1 hr ago 1 hr ago 1 hr ago 1 hr ago But we know that he's admitted that there has been some bad judgment in the last few months." "If you, as a member, declare some kind of disability or health issue, you are entitled to some accommodation. Meanwhile, Dias has said he is entering a residential rehabilitation facility. When asked if Dias' actions over the past six months to a year need to be reexamined, Lewenza said he "won't go that far." That conclusion was drawn based on a “balance of probabilities," Unifor's board said Wednesday, because Dias did not submit any evidence himself.

According to Unifor national secretary-treasurer Lana Payne, Dias accepted the sum of $50000 from a supplier.

It’s hard for me to say this, but my coping mechanism has been pain killers, sleeping pills and alcohol,” he said in the statement. I would have no issue with it being shared with the national executive board,” he said. “At some point prior to January 20, 2022, Dias accepted the sum of $50,000 from the supplier.

Former Unifor national president Jerry Dias is entering a residential rehabilitation facility and stepping away temporarily from all of his advisory positions. In a statement Wednesday, he said that he has been using pain killers, sleeping pills and ...

Payne said Dias then gave a Unifor employee what he said was half of those funds, $25,000, on Jan. 20, telling the employee that it had come from the supplier. “The reins are really in the hands of Unifor, in terms of whether or not criminal charges will be laid, because a lot of the information to support a complaint of that kind has to come from Unifor,” said Sunira Chaudhri, a partner at Workly Law in Toronto. “We are all equal under that constitution.” The union said Dias was asked to participate in the investigation, but that Dias was advised against it by his doctor. Dias was notified of an independent investigation on Jan. 29 and began a medical leave on Feb. 6, citing “ongoing health issues.” About a month later, the union announced he was retiring, before adding the next day, that he had was subject to an investigation. The union alleged that at some point before Jan. 20, Dias accepted $50,000 from a COVID-19 test kit supplier, which Payne declined to name and said was not a participant in the union's investigation because the company does not employ any Unifor members.