Canada has lost a lion of the labour movement. Buzz Hargrove, who served as the national president of the Canadian Auto Workers from 1992 to his retirement in 2008, was a towering figure, championing workers’ rights across the country.
“For decades, Buzz Hargrove was an icon for workers across this country,” said CAPE President Nathan Prier. “His legacy is one the labour movement must keep building on. His values and intelligence, particularly his insistence on social unionism, have had a transformational impact on so many lives across our country. Now, all workers owe it to him to continue this fight.”
Hargrove’s leadership led to gains in wages and working conditions that will be felt for generations. He rose from the shop floor of the Chrysler assembly plant in Windsor to the top position in the union but stayed close to the realities and the struggles of rank-and-file workers across his membership.
His fight for better public health care, fair trade, equity and equality, and strong working-class organizations will live on.
CAPE sends our deepest condolences to his friends and family and shares the loss of this legendary figure with the broader labour community.
