TORONTO — Former Unifor president Jerry Dias was not charged as the results of an investigation launched final 12 months into allegations that the longtime union chief accepted a bribe, Toronto police mentioned Thursday.

The police’s monetary crimes unit started investigating the previous president of Canada’s largest personal sector union final spring after the union handed over cash Dias allegedly accepted from a provider of COVID-19 speedy take a look at kits he promoted to members. Police mentioned Thursday that the investigation has been concluded.

Unifor on the time charged Dias with violating the code of ethics and democratic practices of the union’s structure, and mentioned a listening to could be held earlier than the nationwide govt board.

Unifor’s director of authorized and constitutional issues Anthony Dale mentioned in a press release Thursday that the union’s personal issues referring to Dias have been concluded to its satisfaction and he’ll now not be topic to a listening to course of below the union’s structure. He mentioned Dias is now not a Unifor member, and so the union’s structure and listening to processes now not apply to him.

Dias mentioned in a press release that he reached a “passable authorized settlement” with Unifor. Dale characterised it as an “understanding.”

Dale mentioned the union was knowledgeable by police on the finish of 2022 that no felony cost could be laid, however the union’s personal conclusion was unrelated to the police investigation.

Dias mentioned that these developments “reinforce what I’ve all the time recognized to be true: that over my 45-year profession, I’ve persistently acted with integrity and in the very best pursuits of Unifor members.”

‘IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON’

Dias mentioned the allegations towards him weren’t true.

“I’ve by no means made a dime exterior of my wage with Unifor, and I’ve all the time lived by the union’s Code of Conduct,” he mentioned.

“In saying this, it’s time to transfer on with my life.”

Dale mentioned the union stands by the findings of its impartial investigator’s report on which its allegations had been based mostly.

The union had mentioned Dias allegedly gave a Unifor worker $25,000, which he mentioned was half of the cash from the provider, and the worker subsequently filed a grievance below the Unifor code of ethics and delivered the cash to the union.

Dias dedicated to getting into a rehabilitation facility within the wake of the incident, saying his use of painkillers, sleeping tablets and alcohol to take care of a sciatic nerve challenge had impaired his judgment.

Dias started a medical go away on Feb. 6, 2022, round per week after being notified concerning the union’s impartial investigation into the matter. He was already set to retire that 12 months, however did so early.

Dias mentioned Thursday that he has obtained medical consideration to take care of “critical well being points together with debilitating sciatica,” and has additionally obtained help to get rid of his dependence on opioids to take care of ache. He mentioned he regrets the distraction to members, and thanked those that reached out to him.

Dias had been the president of Unifor since 2013 when it was created as a merger between two unions. He was an outspoken determine of the labour motion in Canada, taking part in an key function throughout the negotiation of the United States-Mexico-Canada Settlement and the profitable combat to reopen the Common Motors plant in Oshawa, Ontario.

In an election in August 2022, former nationwide secretary-treasurer Lana Payne was elected the brand new president of Unifor, working towards Dias’ former govt assistant Scott Doherty, in addition to Dave Cassidy, president of Unifor Native 444.

Dias mentioned within the assertion that he’s pleased with his work as Unifor’s first president.

“Whereas I’ll now not be main the actions on the picket traces and on the bargaining desk, I’ll all the time be Unifor’s primary supporter.”