Canada's most powerful labour leader was born
Basil Eldon Hargrove in Bath, New Brunswick, in 1944 and was
the sixth of 10 children. He grew up in an impoverished
family - often there were more meal times than actual meals
to be had. His father was also difficult and by 1958,
Hargrove's mother left the family taking only the baby.
By grade 10, Hargrove had dropped out of school and left home
- anxious to get on with life. After years of drifting
from job to job he wound up on the line in the Chrysler plant
in Windsor, Ontario, with his older brother Carl.
Strong mentors like Bob White helped forge his unshakeable
commitment to and success in the labour movement. Hargrove
was there when White led the rebellion against their American
UAW leaders, eventually breaking away to create a new union,
the Canadian Auto Workers. By 1992, Hargrove had taken
over the helm but not without paying a heavy personal price
with failed marriages and difficulties with his own children.
When Hargrove endorsed the takeover bid for Air Canada by
Gerry Schwartz and his Onex Corporation, he saw an opportunity
to secure a better contract for his members. Angry Air Canada
workers saw it as a betrayal - a rift that Hargrove is still
trying to patch up today. Despite turbulent times in
Trade Unionism, Hargrove is still a powerful force to be reckoned
with by governments and businesses alike as he continues to
press and fight for social justice.
Original Air Date - October 24, 2000
Links
Canadian Auto
Workers
(Note: CBC does not endorse the content of external
sites)
|
