Former Unifor President Jerry Dias has been accused of accepting $50,000 from a COVID-19 test supplier that was then promoted to Unifor member employers, many of whom purchased the test kits.
Following an internal investigation by Unifor national secretary-treasurer Lana Payne, Dias has been charged with violating the union’s constitution. According to a recent report from Automotive News, acceptance of the $50,000 is just one of several ethical breaches which Dias now faces.
Just last week, Dias announced his immediate retirement as Unifor president following a medical leave taken early in February. Dias served as Unifor president since August of 2013.
GM Canada and Unifor reach agreement over Oshawa Assembly (Jerry Dias right)
Unifor represents some 315,000 workers, including General Motors plant workers in Canada. Previously, Dias engaged in talks with GM regarding the future of the GM Oshawa Assembly plant in southern Ontario, fighting to keep a portion of the facility open after it was announced that it would be closed at the end of 2019. Oshawa Assembly has since reopened and produces the Chevy Silverado HD and Silverado 1500.
Early last week, Unifor announced that it had received a written complaint that Dias “engaged in an alleged breach of the Unifor Constitution.” Dias, who was informed of the investigation late in January of 2022, took medical leave shortly thereafter in February. Dias retired from the union with immediate effect on March 11th, well ahead of his expected retirement following the Unifor convention in August.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Dias, 63, said that he was using alcohol, pain killers, and sleeping pills to address an ongoing sciatic nerve issue, and that these factors had influenced his judgement in recent months. Dias also said that he is seeking treatment at the advice of his doctor, and that he would enter a residential rehabilitation facility.
Unifor national Secretary-treasurer Lana Payne will serve as the temporary Unifor president prior to an election slated for later this year.
Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM-related union news, Unifor news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
Comments
Wow another union leader accused of corruption what else is new. Jimmy Hoffa was the only good union leader period.
Jimmy Hoffa? Good? The guy who united the Unions and the moffia? He’s largely the reason union bosses today are all scum! I’d like to see a redo of union law. I think it’s too thoughly entrenched to remove most of it, but the creation of labor co-ops that give workers more over site into their bosses would allow an easy transition into a less corrupt system that would actually work for the workers.
Don’t bother explaining. These guys weren’t even alive when Jimmy was running the show. They only know about him from books and movies.
I’m so shocked, another slime ball union guy.
Please tell me more about how great the unions are.
Death rates are way up…… 2X the homicides an 1.6X the suicides. You are right that the number of individuals from 2020 who were listed as have died from Covid, just Covid, and not Covid+cancer, or Covid+heat disease or Covid+9mm is almost identical to obamas swine flu death rate.
With examples like this and the U.S. UAW scandal it is no wonder that new industry looks to locate in non-union areas like the south. With their continued stories of corruption Unifor and the UAW are actually hindrances to attracting new companies and thus new jobs. It is time that state / provincial / local governments act according to the best interests of the taxpayers and not to pandering to unions for their political contributions.
Maga 2024
You are one sick minded person. I lost a cousin to covid in June of 2021. Also my neighbors wife died of covid on Christmas Eve 2021. The Covid bacteria actually destroyed her right lung. The hospital did surgery but the bacteria moved into the left lung and she died 3 days later.
Because it has not killed someone close to you, doesn’t mean it does not exist. You are a fool believing Covid does not exist.
Maybe Orangeman will save you. HaHaHa
One less piece of trash on the face of the earth good riddance I say.
First the right-wing Canadian “truckers”; now the union boss shows his true colors. What the heck happened to the old Canada? What a mess.
Great thinking, Jerry.
A little term in some sort of “rehab” is sure a lot better than a term in the Slammer!
“In a statement issued Wednesday, Dias, 63, said that he was using alcohol, pain killers, and sleeping pills to address an ongoing sciatic nerve issue, and that these factors had influenced his judgement in recent months. ” I call BS on this statement.