Unifor mourns the loss of Buzz Hargrove, tireless champion of workers' rights
TORONTO, June 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Unifor is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Basil "Buzz" Hargrove, a beloved and iconic figure in Canada's labour movement. As National President of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) from 1992 until his retirement in 2008, Buzz was a tireless advocate for working people and a deeply respected leader whose impact will be felt for generations.
"Buzz Hargrove was a giant in the Canadian labour movement," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "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."
The CAW, alongside the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP), merged in 2013 to form Unifor—now the country's largest private sector union. Hargrove's legacy lives on in the foundation and spirit of the union he helped shape.
Born in Bath, New Brunswick in 1944, he grew up in a family of ten children and credited his upbringing with helping to shape his social conscience.
Hargrove began his working life on the shop floor of Chrysler's Windsor Assembly Plant. From those early days making seat cushions and serving as a shop steward, he rose through the ranks of the labour movement, helping to build and lead a proudly independent Canadian union voice.
Hargrove played a central role in the CAW's historic break from the UAW in 1985 and the creation of an autonomous Canadian union that put workers' needs first. As President, he led negotiations with major employers—including General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Air Canada, and CN Rail—securing gains that elevated standards across sectors.
A committed social unionist, Hargrove pushed the CAW to fight not only for better wages and working conditions, but also for broader social justice issues including public health care, retirement security, equity, and fair trade.
"Buzz showed us what it means to fight with heart and with strategy," added Payne. "He was never afraid to challenge the powerful, and he understood that real change requires both courage and collective strength. We owe him a debt of gratitude for everything he did to build a fairer Canada."
In recognition of his many contributions, Hargrove received numerous honorary doctorates from Canadian universities and was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008. Following his retirement, he remained an active voice for labour, including as Director of The Centre for Labour Management Relations at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson).
"Buzz was tenacious and a great leader who inspired generations of union activists. What many might not know is his patience and generosity in sharing his many skills and knowledge with others. As National President of Unifor I was one of the many who benefitted from his legacy and his friendship," said Payne. "Our union has lost an extraordinary champion. His memory will live on in the work we do every day to fight for justice, fairness, and dignity for all workers."
Unifor extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to Buzz Hargrove's family, friends, and the entire labour community. Details on a celebration of his life and legacy will be shared in the coming days.
Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cision Canada
an hour ago
- Cision Canada
Walmart Canada has lowered the price on hundreds of key staple items to help Canadians save money and live better Français
Every Day Low Prices can save families, on average, more than $450 per year on their weekly shop at Walmart Canada – the equivalent of over two weeks of groceries MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 16, 2025 /CNW/ - With the rising cost of living top of mind for most Canadian families, Walmart Canada has lowered the every day low price of hundreds of staple items to help Canadians save money and live better, with more to come. Since February, Walmart Canada has lowered the price on hundreds of items, including some fresh fruits and vegetables, bathroom tissue, water, cheese, ground beef and shampoo. This is part of Walmart Canada's mission to provide Every Day Low Prices (EDLP) so customers can rely on consistent, low pricing across the items they're searching for, saving them time and money on their total basket. With Every Day Low Prices, a Canadian family of four can save, on average, more than $450 per year when they do their weekly shop at Walmart as compared to any other major grocery store. * This is the equivalent of more than two weeks of groceries! "Since 1994, we've been helping Canadians save money and live better with every day low prices. At a time when Canadians are feeling more financially stretched than ever, we've lowered the price of hundreds of key items across our stores and website," said Venessa Yates, president and CEO, Walmart Canada. "We want Canadians to know we're working hard to help them save, especially at a time when many are struggling to make ends meet. We know we might not win every day on every single item, but customers can trust that on their total grocery shop they will save money at Walmart." "We know our customers work hard for every dollar, so we're laser-focused on bringing them the lowest price that we can on their basket every time they shop with us," said Sam Wankowski, chief merchandising officer, Walmart Canada. "That's the core of our Every Day Low Price philosophy – and it helps customers complete their weekly shop within their budget. In addition to the everyday prices we're lowering, our customers will continue to benefit from thousands of Rollback offers in-store and on each week." The meaning of EDLP Sam Walton famously said, "If we work together, we'll lower the cost of living for everyone... we'll give the world an opportunity to see what it's like to save and have a better life." On top of these investments in price, Walmart Canada associates continually look for opportunities to find cost savings (Every Day Low Cost) and pass those along to its customers through Every Day Low Prices. EDLP is part of our commitment to helping Canadians save money so they can live better. But what does that actually mean for customers? It means customers can consistently and dependably find low prices at Walmart in stores and online, on the products they're looking for at the quality they'd expect. And when customers shop with us, we're working hard to have consistent stock of these items to save them time - so they can complete their shop without having to go elsewhere. Through it all, Walmart is working to keep prices low so that when customers do their weekly shop with us, they save money. Rollback offers are one of the ways EDLP comes to life at Walmart, lowering our every day low prices even further. Early June marked the start of Walmart Canada's Summer Rollback campaign, featuring over 8,000 new Rollback offers in-store and online. Customers can save on categories like apparel, electronics, health and wellness, and more. Even more ways to save with EDLP at Walmart Canada Along with relying on Walmart Canada's every day low prices to save more on their weekly shop, as the #1 place to save on groceries, Canadians have additional opportunities to save when they shop with Walmart: - Canadians can save even more when they purchase key Walmart Brand essentials, which are on average 33% cheaper than the national brand equivalent sold at Walmart. - Delivery Pass offers subscribers unlimited, free same-day delivery of products at Walmart's every day low prices. - Customers can save money on everyday essentials like baby care, pet care and more through Subscribe to Save, which offers savings of 5% to 20% and convenient automatic deliveries with free shipping and no annual fee for repeat orders. About Walmart Canada Walmart Canada is a people-led, tech-powered omnichannel retailer of more than 400 stores nationwide serving 1.5 million customers each day. Walmart Canada's flagship online store, is visited by more than 1.5 million customers daily. With more than 100,000 associates, Walmart Canada is one of Canada's largest employers and is ranked one of the country's top 10 most influential brands. Walmart Canada's extensive philanthropy program is focused on supporting Canadian families in need, and since 1994 Walmart Canada has raised and donated more than $850 million to Canadian charities. Additional information can be found at and on Walmart Canada's social media pages – Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn. SOURCE Wal-Mart Canada Corp.
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Ontario quietly signs new affordable housing deal with feds
The provincial and federal governments quietly signed a fresh Ontario affordable housing deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars after months of tense back-and-forth and threats to scrap the funding altogether. Shortly after Doug Ford's new cabinet was sworn in March and with Mark Carney installed in the Prime Minister's Office, Ottawa and Queen's Park signed off on a deal to work together on new housing. Details of the need to sign the new agreement were contained in a handover binder prepared for Ontario's new housing minister in March and recently obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws. The same agreement had caused months of grief the previous year as two housing ministers traded barbs, accusations and threats. Last year, the federal and provincial housing ministers clashed repeatedly over the National Housing Strategy – a bilateral, long-term agreement to build affordable housing. Story continues below advertisement The fund provides money to provinces for their affordable housing strategies. It is designed to run for 10 years, with milestones to renew the funds. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Then-Canadian Housing Minister Sean Fraser wrote to his Ontario counterpart, Paul Calandra, in March 2024 to demand 'urgent' action on his affordable housing plan, accusing Ontario of failing to deliver thousands of new units. The letter kicked off back-and-forth jabs, where Ottawa rejected Ontario's various affordable housing plans, claiming it was refurbishing old units and not building new ones. The federal government said it would withhold $357 million in fresh funding until it was satisfied. The federal government eventually said it would sidestep Ontario and give the money straight to local service managers in the province instead. At the time, Calandra said that was exactly what he wanted. 'For weeks, we've been saying, 'It is distributed through our service managers,'' he said in May 2024. 'Now, the big, bad federal Minister of Housing is going to punish Ontario. Do you know how? By distributing the money the same way we have done it for the last 35 years: through our service managers.' After the snap winter election, Calandra was shuffled from housing to education, while Fraser is now the justice minister. A briefing binder prepared for incoming Ontario Housing Minister Rob Flack in March 2025 said one of the first decisions he would have to make would be to sign off on a new federal-provincial agreement to ensure affordable housing dollars continue to flow. Story continues below advertisement 'Ministry staff are reviewing federal input and will bring forward options for the Action Plan for Minister's decision following the election,' the briefing binder, accessed via freedom of information laws, said. Sometime in March, the two governments came to an agreement. 'The National Housing Strategy (NHS) bilateral agreement signed with Ontario runs from 2019/20 to 2027/28,' a federal spokesperson said. 'The targets and outcomes for funding available under the agreement were mutually agreed upon in March 2025 through a three-year Action Plan for 2025/26 to 2027/28. This ensures the continued availability of federal funding for Ontario.' Flack's office indicated he wanted to reset the relationship with his federal counterpart after a tense year. The latest agreement will prioritize rent-assisted units, according to the Ontario government.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Former labour leader passes away
CAW President Buzz Hargrove leaves his table during a news conference in Toronto on Tuesday, June 3, 2008. (J.P. Moczulski / THE CANADIAN PRESS) According to a post on social media, former CAW leader Buzz Hargrove has died. 'A proud Local 444 member who rose to lead the CAW and shape Canada's labour movement,' read the post. Hargrove first became involved in the automotive sector as a line worker for the Chrysler assembly plant in Windsor and succeeded Bob White as president of the CAW in 1992. More details to come.
