Statement on the passing of Bob White

NDP MP Tracey Ramsey made the following statement in the House of Commons on the passing of Bob White

"I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Bob White, a trailblazer who will be remembered for his heart of gold and nerves of steel.

Brother Bob fought tirelessly for a Canadian identity in the labour movement. His courage and vision led to the birth of a new union, the Canadian Auto Workers, in 1985.

Bob was CAW’s first President, serving 3 terms before moving on to serve for 7 years as President of the Canadian Labour Congress. He was also an Officer of the Order of Canada. But it was his love of working people that fuelled his dedication to the labour movement.

As Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, said yesterday: "Bob was a true maverick. He believed in using our collective strength to make both our workplaces and our world better places."

Today we mourn his loss with the labour community and extend our deepest condolences to Bob's family and friends.

We are all part of Bob White's legacy and his vision for a Canadian social trade union movement will live on.

Rest easy Bob, we will continue the fight.

Solidarity Forever."