Sharing Our
Memories of Leo
Under Leo's leadership, this union didn't just defend what it had, it grew. Through historic mergers, hard decisons that others avoided, Leo helped build the largest industrial union in North America.
—from Memorial video
MARTY WARREN
Memorial Host
USW National Director: Canada
“Leo was one of the greats. He meant so much to our Union and our movement. He was such a force, a powerful leader. He was inspiring. He was a mentor. He was a hard ass. He had a steadfast commitment to our members and the labor movement. He knew early on, you couldn't win every strike on the picket line.
He could also see the world was going global and the only way workers could take on these big global companies was by building international solidarity. And that's what Leo did. He made workers from around the world come together for the same thing—a better future. He was a legend. He was a Canadian Hero.”
JAY HAMMOND
USW Local 6500 President
“He will be remembered as someone that stood up for the working people and insured workers had the education and support they needed to stand up and fight for their rights and fight to make the workplace better.”
—Jay Hammond
ROXANNE D. BROWN
USW International President
“Leo Gerard was a change maker, a movement builder, a visionary, a truthteller, an agent of solidarity, a mentor and a hero for so many of us inside and outside of our union and our labor movement.”
—Roxanne D. Brown
“I remember it was at the 2014 Convention. Leo had had a little bit of health problems and his doctors had put him on a diet and he lost a lot of weight. He was a little tight with the wallet, so he was wearing old suits. He was giving his speech and his belt snaps and his pants drop to his ankles. He just reached down, picked his pants up and kept talking.”
—David McCall
DAVID McCALL
USW Int'l. President Emeritus
“Leo knew corporate greed and bad trade deals had more to do with factory closings than anything else. So he put his heart & soul in the fight to save and bolster domestic manufacturing and the fight for trade policies that strengthen & protect workers and human rights here and around the world. He made our union a better union and the world a better place.”
FRED REDMOND
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer
—Fred Redmond
— Also Speaking at the Tribute for Leo W. Gerard —
MEG GINGRICH
Assistant to the National Director
KEN NEUMANN
Ret. USW National Dir. Canada
NAPOLEÒN GÒMEZ
General Secretary of Los Mineros
CAROL LANDRY
Ret. USW Int'l. VP at Large
ALAN KESTENBAUM
CEO & Founder of Bedrock Ind.
Sharing, via video, their
wonderful memories of Leo
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Gary Doer
Former Premier of Manitoba, former Canadian Amb. to U.S
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David Foster
Founding Executive Director of BlueGreen Alliance
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Bob Rae
Former Premier of Ontario, former Canadian UN Amb.
RAYMOND GERARD
Brother to Leo W. Gerard