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Lewenza's last Labour Day rally Thousands turn out to hear outgoing CAW Local 444 president

Trevor Wilhelm

The Windsor Star

Monday, September 01, 2008

Poised to leave Windsor to take the national presidency of the CAW, Local 444 president Ken Lewenza made his last Labour Day speech as a local labour leader an impassioned one Monday, pounding his fists and turning beet red as he roared into the microphone.

"I want to thank each and every one of you for your support, for your friendship, for your leadership," said Lewenza, expected to soon be become the CAW's national leader. "And I must challenge you to wake up again tomorrow morning, full of (expletive) and vinegar, and fight for a more humane society for all Canadians."

Thousands of unionized workers and their families came out for the parade. After marching through the streets waving the flags of their respective unions, they gathered at Festival Plaza. Local NDP MPs Brian Masse and Joe Comartin, Mayor Eddie Francis, labour council president Gary Parent, Lewenza and other labour leaders took turns at the microphone.

A trailer full of old workboots was also on display -- what's been collected so far for the CAW's campaign to send them to politicians to protest their "inaction" in dealing with the growing manufacturing jobs crisis.

"If you think the boot campaign is radical, I would refer you to the Bible," said Father Bill Capitano, chaplain for the Windsor and District Labour Council. "The prophet Isaiah was told by God to go around barefoot and naked for three years to get people's attention. I hope the weather in the holy land was warmer than our winters."

Lewenza, after warning his granddaughters they'd be grounded if they ever skipped Labour Day festivities, gave an impassioned speech about politics and the economy.

"We've had some very tough times economically," he said. "Obviously the manufacturing sector is in incredible decline. Jobs have been lost in the thousands in this community. Our autoparts sector is going through one crisis after another. We've got a lot of challenges. So a day like today is a day to think about our past successes, then pull up our socks and go to work tomorrow morning for a more progressive Canada."

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama, who made a Labour Day speech in Detroit, was also a hot topic.

"Now, what's Barack Obama doing?" asked Lewenza. "He's inspiring people that the existence in the United States can change. The economy can change. We can offer peaceful solutions, versus war. We can provide good paying jobs."

The U.S. presidential election will be of great importance in Canada, he said. Lewenza, like many others at the rally, hopes to see Obama in the White House.

"Obama is out there advocating for loan guarantees for the Big 3, he's out there advocating for a more secure manufacturing sector in the United States," he said. "And as most people know in Canada, we need a strong General Motors in the United States, we need a strong Ford in the United States, a strong Chrysler, a strong autoparts sector. So he's providing some hope. He's bringing high expectations. We have to watch what they do in the United States because it has a big impact on Canadians."

Comartin is also a fan.

"If Obama was to win, we would expect to see a significant shift that would be a benefit to their country and their workers, but also to Canada and Mexico," said Comartin. "The big one is that we will say to the rest of the world, if you're not going to trade with us, we're not going to trade with you, unless you treat us fairly. We're going to say to countries like South Korea that if you take 300 of our cars and expect to sell us 300,000, that's simply not going to be allowed to carry on."

Francis suggested Canadian federal leaders should be visiting Windsor, considering a federal election could be called here in the coming days.

"This is an opportunity to insist that all federal leaders come to Windsor to put in front of us a real plan to show us how you're going to fix the economy," said Francis.

"This community's resolve continues," he said. "We continue to send the message that manufacturing matters, labour matters, jobs matter."

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