17 Facts About Jerry Dias

Jerry Dias was succeeded by Lana Payne on August 10,2022.

Jerry Dias attended Neil McNeil High School, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and York University in Toronto before starting work at de Havilland Aircraft.

Jerry Dias became active in the labour movement at de Havilland, eventually following his father's example as president of Local 112.

Jerry Dias went on to join the union's national staff as aerospace sector coordinator and ultimately became a senior assistant to CAW presidents Buzz Hargrove and Ken Lewenza Sr.

Jerry Dias has been twice named among the country's 50 most powerful people by Maclean's, in 2013 and most recently in 2020.

Jerry Dias has been called the '5 billion blue-collar man' in the Financial Post, one of the most fearsome people in the country by Sun News, and Canada's most influential union leader by Ottawa Life.

An effective negotiator, Jerry Dias has taken on corporate giants to secure good jobs for members and create the economic basis for increased living standards.

Jerry Dias assumed an active role in the USMCA as a consultant to the Canadian government and negotiating team where he consistently pushed to raise labour standards domestically and internationally, maintain Canadian sovereignty and protect key domestic industries.

In 2018, Jerry Dias launched the 'Save Oshawa GM' campaign after General Motors announced plans to end vehicle production in Oshawa after a century of operations.

In 2020, during negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers, Ford, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and General Motors, Jerry Dias secured nearly $6 billion in total investments for auto facilities across Canada, including $3.3 billion to introduce battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle production at the FCA Windsor Assembly Plant and Ford Oakville Assembly Complex.

Jerry Dias succeeded in returning vehicle assembly to Oshawa, Ontario with GM investing an estimated $1.3 billion to retool the plant to build Silverado and Sierra models.

Jerry Dias was arrested and jailed in January 2020 at a picket line at the Co-op Refinery in Regina, Saskatchewan.

On February 6,2022, Jerry Dias went on medical leave, and on March 11 he informed Unifor's executive board of an early retirement.

Jerry Dias issued a public statement saying that he had entered a rehab programme, having abused alcohol and painkillers to deal with a problem relating to sciatic nerve pain, which he claimed had impaired his judgment.

Under Jerry Dias Unifor has been politically active in provincial and federal elections.

In February 2014, Jerry Dias challenged Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak to a debate and campaigned against Hudak policies in the June 2014 election in which Hudak was defeated and ultimately resigned.

Jerry Dias battled Conservative leader Andrew Scheer in the run up to the 2019 federal election, calling for a strategic vote against Conservative candidates across the country.