the following refers to CAW President Buzz Hargrove’s Open Letter to Activists.

13 Oct 2000

Buzz:

Your first paragraph reference to the decision of 30,000 Ontario members of the Service Employees is no longer just an embellishment. You know, I am certain, that no such decision was taken, therefore your Open Letter starts off with a deliberate lie! For one who is attempting to re-establish some integrity and credibility, this is reprehensible.

Then you continue by stating that this non existing decision by the 30,000 SEIU members to join the CAW does not constitute a raid is ludicrous. This 30,000 members made no such decision so has no effect on whether or not a raid is taking place. And what are you trying to modify with, “in any meaningful sense of the term.”? An activity is a raid or it isn’t a raid. Or are you suggesting that it is a “friendly” raid as opposed to a “hostile” raid. Or just what kind of a raid are you claiming it is, that is really not a “raid” in any meaningful sense?

You state,“The CAW did not try to recruit these members. In fact, we resisted approaches by dissident SEIU leaders to join our union, . . .” Conceded. But this was about two years ago. Now, I suppose, none of your organizers are in the field signing up SEIU members. Rather, these SEIU members, on their own initiative, are flooding to your offices demanding to be signed up. How quaint!

Then you continue: “. . . But after years of distant, at times dictatorial leadership from Washington, poor service, and a fundamental lack of control over their Canadian affairs, . . .” This is a statement that actually says nothing. It is nothing more than a general complaint without any part of it being specific, except for the remark about poor service. Problem is, the poor service is a function of the local people, not Washington, and that statement is verified by the interviews I did with rank and file members on my radio program. They also complained about poor services, from the local people, including Ken Brown. They knew nothing about Washington or the International. They complained about the local representation, and agreed clearly if they were going into the CAW and end up with the same representation, then it did not make sense.

Now where this control from Washington complaint comes from is unclear. No one points their finger at anything specific that we can analyse. However, Dave Earles, President of CAW Local 302 and former president of SEIU Local 220 after having turned his London area local around and created a workable organization, according to himself, complained about interference, not from Washington, but from SEIU Local 204, and when he went to the International to complain, Stern said he could not get involved and interfere with Canadian Local Union Autonomy. That was said by Dave Eales, not me!

Now where in hell are you getting all this bull-shit about the International interfering with Canadian Locals?? It looks to me like these were arguments created specifically to support your illegal raid.

Your entire letter contains the same kind of innuendo and confusion, distortion and outright lies, and it will be counterproductive to waste time on the rest of it. What I would like to do, however, is suggest something you might want to get involved with which is possibly more in line with your job description. How about giving us an accounting of what transpired during the last set of negotiations with the Ford Motor Company (Canada) Ltd.

A few weeks ago the employees in the Essex Aluminum plant were called into a plant wide meeting and told that as of October 1, they were no longer Ford Employees. That they would be receiving Ford Cheques only until January 1. Now rumours are flying all over the place and nobody, even activists in the Local, seem to know what is going on. What kind of an agreement did you sign with Ford? When can we get a copy of the “Minutes of Settlement?”

All kinds of people are bidding out, and don’t know whether they are going to be allowed to go. If they are allowed to transfer to jobs bid on, will junior Ford employees be forced to transfer from a Ford Job the the Nemak plants? What’s going on?

One of the hot and heavy rumours states that the Canadian Power Train Division, including the two Windsor engine plants, is, or will be sold to Visteon. What do you know about this?

How about giving up your ill fated SEIU adventure and concentrate your effort on preventing the dismemberment of the Canadian Auto Industry. Or, would you prefer to let the Canadian Auto Industry go, and spend your time gobbling up the rest of the Canadian Labour Movement.

It would be nice if you could come up with an answer, seeing as how I know so much and understand so little according to you!!

All of which is respectfully uttered

Manse
Oct. 13, 2000