In the ensuing two-week period, White wrapped himself in the Canadian flag, and in order to gain a short-term reprieve from the downsizing push by the global auto industry, and over the heads of the Canadian membership, pulled the Canadian section out of the UAW. “This is coming from me as a leader of the union,” he declared. “It’s not being pushed from the bottom by the rank-and-file.” Presented with a fait-accompli by the leadership and persuaded by the nationalist tub-thumping of White—who was quickly becoming the darling of the Canadian media—the membership eventually voted by large margins to endorse the split.