A widely respected labour leader in Canada has passed away.
In a statement, Unifor calls Basil “Buzz” Hargrove a tireless champion of workers’ rights.
Hargrove began his working life at Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant, making seat cushions and serving as shop steward of Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant, before rising through the ranks of the labour movement.
He was the National President of the Canadian Auto Workers from 1992 until his retirement in 2008.
Unifor says Hargrove played a central role in the CAW’s historic break from the UAW in 1985 and the creation of what is now the country’s largest private sector union.
The CAW merged with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union in 2013 to become Unifor, which represents 320,000 workers in every major economic sector across the country.
Unifor National President Lana Payne says, “He never forgot where he came from, and he carried that working-class spirit with him into every boardroom, bargaining session, and public forum. His passion, his intellect, and his uncompromising belief in justice for working people shaped the labour movement we know today.”
Hargrove received numerous honorary university doctorates and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008.
Born in Bath, New Brunswick, Hargrove grew up in a family of ten children and credited his upbringing with helping to shape his social conscience.
He was 81.
Unifor says details on a celebration of Hargrove’s life and legacy will be shared in the coming days.
