2008-09-24 Buzz Hargrove

Ah, Buzz Hargrove - tough, passionate, outspoken and perhaps, the country's biggest defender of worker rights. Under his 16 year leadership the Canadian Auto Workers became a labour giant. He's been praised for negotiating union victories, where it seemed almost impossible. But he's also ticked plenty of people off - including, at times, his allies. Born in New Brunswick Buzz grew up poor in a family of 10 kids. He dropped out of high school and in 1964, landed a maintenance job at the Chrysler plant in Windsor, Ontario. Over the next 20 years, he became a union shop steward then, an assistant to the union boss, as part of the United Auto Workers. Then in '84, Buzz helped form the CAW. And 8 years later, he was elected president. In '96, he led a 3 week strike against GM And last year, he angered some workers by accepting a no-strike clause in a deal with Magna International.

Find out what he's up to now here www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=866716303