Ken Lewenza, who has led the Canadian Auto Workers for five tumultuous years, is stepping down and won’t run for the top job in the country’s new super union during a historic merger later this month, sources say.

The sources confirmed Wednesday that the fiery Lewenza and Dave Coles, president of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers, will leave their current posts and join other leaders in endorsing Jerry Dias, a senior CAW official, for the top job at a founding convention.

Lewenza’s move surprised members of the CAW’s national executive board during a meeting earlier this week where members discussed endorsements for a joint “unity” slate in elections for the new union, called Unifor, on Aug. 31.

“I was shocked,” said one senior union official, who requested anonymity, after hearing about Lewenza’s decision.

Labour insiders had predicted Lewenza would be the logical choice to lead the new union and more than 300,000 workers. He has a national profile, the CAW is much larger than CEP and Coles is closer to retirement. It is not clear yet when Lewenza will retire although he is eligible.

Lewenza, 59, did not return calls seeking comment and spokespersons for both unions would not confirm his departure or other moves about the slate before a news conference Thursday.

Some sources familiar with the CAW’s internal workings said Lewenza is dealing with health concerns.

But other officials close to him indicated he did not want to stay longer than one three-year term with the new union which may not have been good in realizing a consistent and clear long-term direction for it.

Furthermore, the former longtime president of the big CAW local in Windsor and major political force in that southwestern Ontario city, misses the community and wants to return, the sources said.

The CAW and CEP plan to create Canada’s biggest private sector union with representation in about 20 sectors. They are teaming up in an effort to rejuvenate a struggling labour movement that is reeling from global market forces, a slow economic recovery, tougher employers and changing worker attitudes.

Lewenza replaced the retiring Buzz Hargrove in 2008 and has weathered the most difficult time in the union’s history with a severe recession hammering the manufacturing sector, heavy job losses in several sectors, and continuing concessions or only minor gains in contract bargaining.

The CEP executive board also met earlier this week to endorse candidates from both unions for top leadership positions including national president, secretary-treasurer and four regional directors. The slate will likely include current CAW and CEP secretary-treasurers Peter Kennedy and Gaetan Menard for key posts.

The 54-year-old Dias is currently one of Lewenza’s top assistants after rising through the CAW ranks over a 35-year career. He started at de Havilland Aircraft manufacturing (now Bombardier) in suburban Downsview.

Dias became president of the plant’s CAW local and eventually moved into a staff representative’s position. Former president Buzz Hargrove appointed Dias as an assistant in 2007 in charge of the Chrysler and auto parts units of the union and he developed a reputation as a good “fixer” in resolving internal plant problems.

Insiders at the time described Dias as a possible candidate to replace the retiring Hargrove in 2008 but he decided against any run for the leadership and Lewenza became president.

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Lewenza, a former assembly line worker at Chrysler in Windsor, led CAW Local 444 and master bargaining committees in Big Three auto talks for many years.

It is unclear if Dias, who also did not return calls, will face any opposition from within the CAW or the CEP at the convention.

The two unions began talking about a merger in late 2011. Since then. their respective boards have reached agreement on principles, organizational structure, policies and a constitution after consultations with workers across the country.