Unifor Local 444 President Dave Cassidy is reflecting on a 30-year career with Chrysler Canada after announcing his retirement on Sunday.
Cassidy has been the president of the local, representing over 20,000 active and retired members in 31 workplaces, for six years.
He said he first developed his passion for the labour movement after being fired as a referee by the NHL.
"I was fired by the NHL for not scabbing when the referees were withdrawing their labour in the NHL," said Cassidy. "There were 12 of us that were hired by the NHL, working the minor leagues and 11 went and scabbed and one person didn't," said Cassidy. "I think people will remember me from that, that I didn't cross the picket line, it was about integrity."
In the last six years as president, Cassidy has been through layoffs, a two-month-long strike at Caesars Windsor, and major bargaining with Chrysler.
"We've been through a war in my tenure we've had the loss of the third shift, we've had notice of the second shift, we've had COVID. There's been so many things that we've been together as a team and we persevered," said Cassidy.
He said his greatest success was getting everyone on the third shift back to work.
Nominations for the next Unifor Local 444 board must be filed by 5 p.m. Tuesday. Elections will be held on May 9 and 10.
Cassidy is endorsing James Stewart who has expressed his intention to run for president.
Cassidy will hand over his office and title to the election winner.
"It's bittersweet. I'm at peace with it but it's emotional. It's all I've done for a lot of years... I'm good with it," said Cassidy.