Sound the trumpets! Hargrove to step down early!

[K Dawg ONE]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/07/08/b...ep-down-early/

[Ambalanche]

Well, he was probably forced out because he didn't get the union anything extra and gave up lots so he might have been better than who comes next!

[ByTheLake]

Hopefully the CAW recognizes the need for a leader that understands what it will take to keep some manufacturing work in Canada. The old hard-line tactics are obsolete and ineffective.

[BigAls87Z28]

This could be good and bad. Something tells me its the latter....

[Aprime]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

Hopefully the CAW recognizes the need for a leader that understands what it will take to keep some manufacturing work in Canada. The old hard-line tactics are obsolete and ineffective.

Yeah, because the CAW is SOOOO hard line and cocky.

[1999 White C5 Coupe]

Originally Posted by Ambalanche

Well, he was probably forced out because he didn't get the union anything extra and gave up lots so he might have been better than who comes next!

He was forced to resign because he will be reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65 soon.

[adplusone]

Quoting the Detriot News here...

"Union leaders quickly endorsed as his successor a former Chrysler Canada assembly worker from Windsor who vows to fight against two-tier wages and concessions that American auto workers already have accepted."

Hello Mexico....we have these Canadian jobs that we need to move...

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs...ategory=AUTO01

[K Dawg ONE]

Originally Posted by adplusone

Quoting the Detriot News here...

"Union leaders quickly endorsed as his successor a former Chrysler Canada assembly worker from Windsor who vows to fight against two-tier wages and concessions that American auto workers already have accepted."

Hello Mexico....we have these Canadian jobs that we need to move...

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs...ategory=AUTO01

Windsor eh? Hmmmmm....

[joemac]

Originally Posted by Aprime

Yeah, because the CAW is SOOOO hard line and cocky.

Would he be doing his job if he conceded to all the wants and desires of the company? Given that I don't think this would be representing his constituency as is expected. What would be the more appropriate way represent and support the CAW?

[K Dawg ONE]

Quoting the next-in-line CAW prez Ken Lewenza in an interview yesterday:

Lewenza - "Hope I can do for the CAW as a whole what I did for the City of Windsor!"
Reporter - "What? Get auto plants closed?"

BURN!

[fredi91]

talk about a guy walking into a line of fire...i hope he has strong shoulders as he will need to carry a lot of weight from what Buzz has left for him.

[windsormike]

Ken lewenza comes out of a tough local, 444, that spent years fighting The Reutherites when it was a local in the UAW..It is interesting that Hargrove also came out of 444 as well as the last treasurer of the CAW. Lewenza is not a surrender monkey. I believe that he will be more effective than Hargrove, who burned a lot of bridges in the labour movement.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

Hopefully the CAW recognizes the need for a leader that understands what it will take to keep some manufacturing work in Canada. The old hard-line tactics are obsolete and ineffective.

No, they didn't Ken Lewenza (one of Buzz's cronies) is taking the top spot uncontested. It will be business as usual at the CAW. Or it'll be out of business in no time with the way they're running it. He has already said the exact same crap Buzz said before the talks for the current contracts wnet ahead "no two tier wage system."

Lewenza is president of CAW Local 444 representing the Chysler's Windsor Assembly Plant, which makes the Chrysler Town and Country, Dodge Caravan, and is currently building pre-production Volkwagen Tourans.


P.S. there's already murmers around this town that the famed W.A.P. will close it's doors and St. Louis will expand to meet all of the minivan's shrinking demand. We'll have nobody left from the Detroit 3 in Windsor.

[Tone]

I heard Ken lewenza interviewed on CBC this morning ... I really think the CAW is out of touch. Their main issue seems to be that the federal government needs to "level the playing field" for North American automakers to sell cars in Asia.

Hello Ken, North American automakers already sell cars in Asia ... cars they produce there. GM produces cars through Daewoo and in China (Buick); Ford controls Mazda and until very recently, Chysler had an aliance with Hyundai and Mitsubishi ... and is working with China's Cherry to produce small cars.

Somehow the CAW thinks that Canada can open those markets AND that the cars sold there will be produced right here ... that GM or Ford (or even Honda or Toyota) will build cars in a high-cost jurisdiction and export them to places in or close to low cost manufacturing jurisdictions (India, anyone).

If that's the CAW's main plank, it appears Ontario is getting out of the mass manufacturing business.

I'd be far more impressed if the CAW was focused on issues like productivity and innovation ... in figuring out how to carve out a niche for its members that have them competing on skills and productivity rather than cost. Because, that's about the only chance for them to continue to enjoy their relatively good-paying jobs. The other two alternatives -- wages in Canada come way down or jobs get exported to other places, aren't too wonderful for the members or Ontario's manufacturing base.

The option that the CAW really seems to be advocating -- tarrifs on imported cars -- will simply make cars more expensive for the Canadian consumer. It would be like a shift of income from buyers to unionized workers ... and given the wages of union workers, I can't imagine anything more regressive.