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| Circa 1935: John Moynahan in the arms of his father Ernest Moynahan with his mother Rhea (Coughlin) Moynahan and sister Patricia Moynahan |
A testament to a life unfairly cut far too short that accomplished so very much in such a short time.
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 18 Sep 1987, Fri • Page 6 |
Let's start at the beginning.
John Moynahan: The Early Years
John identified himself as "The son of a Ford Canada worker" and a "typical Irish Catholic kid who grew up on Erie St." in Windsor, Ontario.
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| John Moynahan (c 1940s) |
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| Left to Right: John, Bernard, Ernie Jr. Ernie Sr. and Patricia Moynahan (c. 1940s) |
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| Ernie Jr. , John, Ernie Sr. and their grandmother Mary (Broderick) Moynahan's dog. |
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| Ernie, Denny, John and their dog "Corkie" |
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| Left to Right: Rhea (Coughlin), Ernie Sr., Ernie Jr., Patricia and John Moynahan on Marentette Ave., Windsor, Ont |
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| Left to Right: Ernies (Jr and Sr) Patricia, Rhea (Coughlin) and John Moynahan. |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 09 Jun 1950, Fri • Page 5 |
"When he was nine, he began packing potatoes at a grocery store and continued working there through high school. But that job, plus a paper route provided both a boost and the downfall to his academic career.
Moynahan said he always wanted to go to assumption High School but his parents couldn't afford the tuition. In Grade 10 he went anyway, using his part-time job to pay the tuition.
All went well until he and many other students failed Latin and the school decided to hold tutorials after regular classes - meaning he wouldn't be able to work and pay his tuition.
At that point he went to Tech and began his career as a tool and die maker."
"He was eleven years old when he witnessed the historic 1945 strike at Ford almost on his doorstep. In an interview (in 1981), he recalled going to the soup kitchens on Drouillard Road.
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| 1945 Ford Strike - Windsor Ontario |
The strike succeeded but Moynahan was tabbed as a ringleader and he had to learn the fine art of negotiation with the nun in charge."
1954 Marriage: The Moynahan Family
On the 24th of July 1954, John Moynahan married the love of his life Shirley Jewel Brazeau (1936–1997) who had moved with her family to Windsor from Sturgeon Falls, Ontario.
Ernie, Shirley (Brazeau), and John Moynahan, May 1955
John and Shirley Moynahan bought a home on Arthur Road in Windsor where they raised their four children (two girls and two boys)
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| Left to Right: Dan, Elizabeth, Shirley (Brazeau), Lorri and John Moynahan on Arthur Rd, Windsor. Son Chris (not in picture) was born later and was a CAW labour activist. (Picture taken c 1961) |
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| Lorri, John, Chris, Shirley, Elizabeth and (seated in front) Dan. |
John Moynahan Loved Baseball
Beyond the countless newspaper clippings that I found about John Moynahan's union activities, there was a number of newspaper accounts of John Moynahan as an outstanding baseball player. Here is but a small sampling ...from the 1950's to the 1970s.
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 26 Sep 1957, Thu • Page 36 |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 15 Jun 1959, Mon • Page 21 |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 10 Jul 1959, Fri • Page 26 |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 29 Aug 1968, Thu • Page 36 |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 20 Jun 1970, Sat • Page 20 |
1972-1983: President UAW/CAW Local 195
"Moynahan said he started being vocal in the union in the 1950s, but it wasn't until the 1960s that he became actively involved in the union as a skilled trades representative.
He was concerned with the way apprentices were handled and saw the union as a vehicle to express his opinions.
His interest grew as he attended union education courses, but he admits he learned more through talking and arguing with seasoned union leaders."
He started as a Plant Chairman at Dominion Forge before becoming Local 195 President.
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 19 Aug 1971, Thu • Page 3 |
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DAAL Meeting regarding upcoming negoatiations about plant closure.
Mon, May 06, 1974 · Page 3
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The Windsor Star
UAW Local 195 40th Anniversary 13 Dec 1976, Mon • Page 3 |
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Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Fri, Dec 05, 1980 · Page 3
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Windsor Bumper plant sit-in
Thu, Jun 18, 1981 · Page 1
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1977: Murder of Friend Charlie Brooks
John Moynhan was deeply effected by the senseless murder of his friend, UAW Local 444 President Charles Brooks. The shock. The loss of a visionary leader. The memory of what he was doing when he heard his friend 61-year-old Brooks had been killed at the union office ... never forgotten.
Charles E. Brooks (1915–1977) was a Canadian labour union activist, the first president of the United Auto Workers Local 444, who was assassinated by an upset employee of Chrysler Motors.
John Moynahan was later chosen to replace Charlie Brooks on the UAW Canadian Council.
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 03 Oct 1977, Mon • Page 3 |
Background: "Clarence Talbot was upset he’d lost his auto job. After a confrontation at the union office after lunch, Talbot got a rifle from his car, fired shots into a locked door, went outside and smashed a window before going back inside and kicking in the door to kill Brooks. He was tried for the murder but was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Talbot spent 10 years in psychiatric hospitals and died in 2003 in London"
1976 Reaume Park Fountain
In 1976, a fountain was proposed for Reaume Park with Local 195 contributing. John Moynahan is pictured below with Bill Wilkinson.
The Charlie Brooks Memorial Peace Fountain is the only
international floating fountain in the world. It can propel water 70
feet into the air and displays a light show at night.
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 22 Sep 1976, Wed • Page 4 |
1979: Health and Safety Activist: Bendix Asbestos
" Local 195 president, John Moynahan, outlined in full detail the work histories of the three men (Bendix workers) - Henry Bednarick, Nelson Masse and Edward Rogers - and how their contact with asbestos was the most likely cause of their cancers. Given that the company had refused union requests to provide more details regarding the work histories of these and other workers, the union was left with no alternative but to present its case to the Workmen's Compensation Board."
This resulted in a precedent-setting decision where the Ontario's Worker's Compensation Board paid a worker who "may have gotten cancer at a Windsor factory."
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| Ivy Masse, wife of Nelson Masse at public forum Montreal Gazette July 23, 1979 |
1979 - Building New Union Office
In 1979, Local 195 purchased the Tepperman Building on Ottawa Street. It was a furniture store that had been on Ottawa street for 48 years. UAW Local 195 bought it in March 1979 for $350,000.
John Moynahan envisioned it being more than just offices and meeting rooms. He envisioned having a member's club room (gym and saunas), a retirees room, an unemployed workers centre etc. with special accommodations for "handicapped people"
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| he Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 07 Mar 1979, Wed • Page 5 |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 19 Mar 1979, Mon • Page 3 |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 26 Aug 1980, Tue • Page 3 |
1980 NDP Candidate
In 1980 John Moynahan took up the New Democrat banner to challenge then incumbent Liberal Mark MacGuigan for the federal riding of Windsor-Walkerville"
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Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Thu, Jan 03, 1980 · Page 5
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Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Sat, Jan 26, 1980 · Page 85
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Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Wed, Jan 30, 1980 · Page 5
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| NDP Volunteer T-Shirts: "NDP 80 - Under Construction", "Vote John Moynahan" with thanks to Kim Maxim (John's niece) |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 31 Jan 1980, Thu • Page 5 |
Non-profit Social Housing Advocate
John Moynahan engaged in many social causes throughout the years and was a proud champion of the United Way in Windsor.
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Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Fri, Sep 28, 1984 · Page 5
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A non-profit co-op housing project was named after him: the John Moynahan Co-operative Homes at 1207 Labour Crescent, Windsor Ontario. There are 66 units (Back-split/two-story (4 accessible and modified units)) These homes were established in 1987.
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| John Moynahan Co-operative Homes, Windsor, Ontario |
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| John Moynahan in England 1934-1987 |
"Looking back on his years at the local, he says that he regrets that more has not been done to change some of the inequities of society, and he regrets having deprived his family of his time....and anticipates he may never get around to learning how to play the banjo his wife bought him a few years ago."
John Moynahan's Funeral 1987
Bob White flew to Windsor directly from Toronto where he had just negotiated a new contract with Chrysler Canada Ltd. to deliver the eulogy at my uncle John Moynahan's (1934-1987) funeral.
White, who planned to be at the Chrysler workers' ratification meeting today, said CAW officials had to charter a plane to get to Windsor in time for the funeral.
Bob White said Uncle John, who had an infectious sense of humor, would be amused to know his fellow trade union members were in a "private jet, bringing hundreds of thousands of dollars to retirees in Windsor" as a result of the Chrysler settlement.
Full text:
More than 400 friends, relatives, fellow trade unionists and politicians attended the service in St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church on Seminole Street.
White, who had known Mr. Moynahan for 20 years, said his friend would be remembered for helping the poor and disadvantaged, those on layoff, injured employees battling the workers' compensation board and retirees.
"He was always working for the people," said White who said that on a scale of one to 10 Mr. Moynahan would rate "pretty close to a 10.
"He would have made a first class member of parliament," he said in reference to Mr. Moynahan's unsuccessful bid for a seat in the 1980 federal election.
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| John seated next to his friend Bob White This photograph (above) depicts the Canadian Collective Bargaining Conference held in Toronto on April 10th and 11th, 1976. The conference was held by the United Automobile Workers union who, at the time, represented auto workers in both the United States and Canada. In 1985, the Canadian division would break from this group and form the Canada Auto Workers union which represents auto workers in Canada to this day. The purpose of this conference was to set the general direction for each section of the union and in this case to also protest the wage controls that were being enacted by the Trudeau government at the time. The conference was attended by union representatives from both Canada and the United States. From left to right: Frank Fairchild (Administrative assistant), John Moynahan (President Loc. 195), Robert White (Administrative assistant) and Dennis McDermott (Canadian director of UAW). Dennis McDermott went on to become the president of the Canadian Labour Congress - Congrès du travail du Canada (CLC) from 1978 to 1986 and Bob White was CLC president 1992 to 1999 (Shirley Carr was president in-between 1986–1992) Source: Library and Archives Canada |
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The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 16 Sep 1987, Wed • Page 5 |
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Clipped from
The Windsor Star
Windsor, Ontario, Canada 03 Jan 1981, Sat • Page 5 |
- Dust to DUST to Dust: Asbestos and the Struggle for Worker Health and Safety at Bendix Automotive by Robert Storey and Wayne Lewchuk, Labour/Le Travail, 2000
- Select Committee on Plant Shut down and Employee Adjustments (1981) Case Study 6; Bendix Plant; John Moynahan UAW Local 195, President
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