Unifor members,
Today President Donald Trump declared economic war on Canada and Canadian workers with the announcement of a 25% tariff on goods and a 10% tariff on energy exported to the U.S. starting on Tuesday February 4.
This is an existential threat. Unifor represents more than 120,000 members employed in trade-dependent areas of the economy and 10,000s of others in the transport of goods.
While we do not know what Trump will do, or say, or demand next, Unifor has been clear on what Canada and Canadians must do.
As a country we must unite behind a strong immediate response. Our union has called on the government to consider all available options, including hitting back hard with dollar-for-dollar strategic tariffs and other non-tariff measures, implementing measures to mitigate layoffs, expanding worker income security programs and taking every measure to strengthen our economy internally and broaden our international trade base. Our union believes that we must build a strong, resilient, and diverse economy to never be held hostage by America again.
Since Trump’s election, Unifor has been actively engaged, participating on federal and provincial trade council roundtables, submitting recommendations on both proactive measures and retaliatory actions, and communicating directly with employers in the union’s ongoing efforts to protect workers.
Visit our Protect Canadian Jobs webpage to read Unifor’s recommendations, sign up for updates to receive the latest news, and for information on how members can support each other in this fight.
Together we will face this challenge and do everything we can to make sure we protect jobs, the economy and our country. The future of our country depends on all of us.
In solidarity,
Lana Payne
National President