Laying It on the Line : Driving a Hard Bargain in Challenging Times

In late 2008, the world’s economy began to tumble at avalanche speed, and at the forefront of the manufacturing collapse were the Big Three automakers: Chrysler, General Motors and Ford. For decades, these companies had been shining stars, providing billions of dollars of new investments and thousands of well-paying jobs. Yet suddenly the heads of these and other manufacturing giants found themselves begging governments for financial packages to save their industries. What the hell happened?

Buzz Hargrove, the former head of the Canadian Autoworkers (CAW), retired right before the collapse, but not before witnessing the decades of bad decisionmaking— by federal governments and CEOs—that set the stage for the sudden crisis. No one knows the ins and outs of manufacturing like Hargrove, a man who championed the cause of on-the-line workers but who also earned the immense respect of political and business leaders.

In Laying It on the Line, Hargrove explains the crisis from his side of the table, what it means for Canada and how the manufacturing sector can again become this country’s foremost economic driver. Along the way, he shares the behind-the-door dealings with GM, Ford, Air Canada and others, explaining the controversial agreements he reached over his decades as Canada’s chief labour leader. Laying It on the Line is a timely call to arms for industry, governments and indeed all Canadians.

Buzz Hargrove was the national president of the CAW from 1992 until his retirement in September 2008. Born and raised in Bath, New Brunswick, the former Windsor, Ontario, autoworker, along with UAW Canadian Director Bob White, helped found the CAW. A former VP of the executive committee of the Canadian Labour Congress, Hargrove has also written an autobiography entitled Labour of Love. Named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2008, Hargrove is a member of the NHLPA’s advisory board, a Distinguished visiting Professor at Ryerson University and the co-host of BNN’s Buzz Cuts. He lives outside of Toronto.