The President of Unifor Local 444 may be in the running for the job at the top of the union, but that doesn't mean Dave Cassidy won't have his finger on the pulse of the work of the local.
Cassidy's announcement that he'll run to replace current National President, Jerry Dias, comes at a crucial time for the union local. It started contract talks with Caesars Windsor just last Friday, and 1,000 of its members at the casino remain off work. At the same time, production at the Windsor Assembly Plant remains spotty because of a worldwide shortage of a much-needed microchip.
"It's a long runway to get there, but our first focus is the local union," he said during the announcement on Tuesday morning.
Dias, who is off on medical leave, had planned to retire in August.
The constitutional convention is from August 8 to August 12 in Toronto.
His success is not assured. A statement from Unifor Local 444 over the weekend said the national executive board had "already given their golden anointing to one of his [Dias's] assistants. This 'practice' almost guarantees who the next President will be without the need for an election."
Cassidy argues the decision shouldn't be the lone decision of the union's elite.
"Since I've been in a leadership role, I can not recall an election at the constitutional convention," he said. "The rank and file, leadership from local unions across the country, have to be the ones to decide."
However, Cassidy admitted the actions of the national executive board do not violate the union's constitution.
Asked why he wasn't the endorsed candidate, Cassidy directed the question to Dias but pointed to his experience on the executive going back to 2008, back when Unifor was still the Canadian Auto Workers.
"When I came on the National Executive Board, we used to really debate. We set a lot of direction the way the union was going. Over the past few years, that has changed," said Cassidy.
Dias took over leadership in 2013.
Cassidy believes he has the union's rank and file's support.
He said he has raised his own money for his leadership bid and will not be using any funds from the Local.
- With files from Tamara Thornton.