May Day is more than a celebration of past victories—it’s a call to action. A day to recommit ourselves to the struggle for justice, dignity and fairness for the working class and to draw strength from the collective power of working people everywhere.

This year, we mark May 1 under the shadow of escalating attacks on working people. We must remain vigilant against the stripping of union rights, slashing of public services, and the targeting of the most vulnerable workers—especially migrants—with policies rooted in exploitation and division.

In the United States, the return of Donald Trump has brought with it a renewed wave of attacks. With a stroke of a pen, nearly one million public sector workers were stripped of their collective agreements—denied the basic right to union representation.

These actions, emboldened by anti-union CEOs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, are not isolated—they are part of a broader strategy to weaken the power of workers and concentrate wealth and control in the hands of a few.

Here at home, we’re facing our own fights.

In Quebec, Unifor members are pushing back against Bill 89, legislation that would curtail the right to strike and limit workers’ ability to bargain fairly. In Windsor, Ontario, thousands of members, retirees and community members came together at the Unifor Protect Canadian Jobs rally to demand good jobs, fair trade, and a manufacturing strategy that puts Canadian workers first.

This is the energy we need—bold, grassroots action that pushes back against erosion of rights at every level.

Globally, we are witnessing a surge of worker resistance. In Argentina, Belgium, Morocco and Greece, unions have mobilized mass general strikes against austerity, cuts to public services, and rollbacks to pension and bargaining rights.

These movements are not just about wages—they are about defending public institutions and the role of workers in shaping their futures.

In the United States, where migrant workers are increasingly targeted by immigration enforcement, unions are stepping up to defend their members from deportation and detention. These actions remind us that the labour movement must never stop fighting for equity—across status, race, gender and geography.

The stakes are high. But history has taught us that workers do not back down.

From factory floors and hospitals to classrooms and courthouses, Unifor members continue to organize, speak out and demand better—not just for ourselves, but for future generations.

On this May Day, we honour the workers who came before us, whose sacrifices built the rights we now defend. We stand with our international allies, whose courage inspires us to fight harder. And we commit to building a future rooted in solidarity, inclusion and justice.

Unions built this country and together, we’ll protect what we’ve built—and keep moving forward.

Each May, Unifor celebrates Asian Heritage Month by recognizing the important contributions and rich cultural heritage of Asian and South Asian communities in Canada.

The theme for the 2025 Asian Canadian Heritage Month is “Asian Canadian Legacy: We Contribute. We serve.”, which reflects the spirit of solidarity at the heart of Unifor’s work—where Asian members have long strengthened our union through their leadership, service, and unwavering commitment to justice.

The legacy of Asian Canadians is one of resilience, resistance, and remarkable achievement. From early immigration and labour struggles to the ongoing fight for equity in our workplaces and communities, these stories shape who we are—and who we must strive to become.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the continued rise in anti-Asian racism and xenophobia, often intensified by global conflict and misinformation. A 2023 Angus Reid Institute poll found that many Asian Canadians still face harassment and discrimination rooted in geopolitical fear and pandemic scapegoating. These realities underscore the need for solidarity especially now as trade tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world continue to stoke division and embolden harmful stereotypes that wrongly portray Asian communities as threats instead of the integral, contributing members of society that they are.

Unifor recommits to creating safer, more inclusive workplaces through collective bargaining, while actively challenging anti-Asian racism in all its forms—from the workplace to the wider community.

As trade unionists, we are not observers—we are changemakers. Asian Heritage Month is not only a time to reflect, but also a call to act.

This month, we encourage all members to participate, speak out, and amplify the stories, successes, and struggles of Asian Canadians.

Share your messages using #Unifor4RacialJustice and join us in the work of building a future where everyone belongs.

Together, we learn from our past—and organize for a future shaped by equity, dignity, and solidarity.

THUNDER BAY, ONT.—Unifor supports Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s call for Toronto to have its Line 2 subway cars manufactured at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay. This move is expected to secure jobs for workers represented by Unifor Local 1075.

“Unifor backs the push to see our Thunder Bay members building subway cars for Toronto,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Ensuring different levels of governments are coordinating to put procurement dollars to work and maximize Canadian jobs is always good policy and, in these times, even more so.”

The Ontario government urged Toronto to consider a sole-source deal with Alstom to support provincial workers, amid Donald Trump’s ongoing trade war. In response to U.S. tariffs, the city had already moved in March to bar American firms from bidding on contracts.

If Alstom is awarded the contract, Unifor members would build the 55 new subway cars, intended to replace the current cars on the Bloor-Danforth line, which will reach their 30-year service line next year.

“Every time such an investment gets the green light, it strengthens our Unifor Made-in-Canada fightback,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi.

“We have a pivotal moment to prioritize supporting our local industries and bolstering Canada’s economy by creating sustainable, good-paying jobs right here in Ontario.”

In January, Ontario committed to spend nearly $500 million to refurbish 181 GO Transit bi-level rail coaches, which is expected to support hundreds of jobs for at the Alstom plant in Thunder Bay.

“Our members are ready and eager to build these subway cars,” said Unifor Local 1075 President Justin Roberts. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be given more opportunities, which in turn, will help our communities grow and thrive.”

Governments in Canada will spend tens of billions of dollars on transit vehicles in the coming years. In a sector valued at $2.9 billion GDP in recent years, leveraging this procurement to maximize Canadian content means procuring trusted, reliable vehicles that support Canadian jobs.

TORONTO— U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest executive order to phase in new tariffs on auto parts is part of a continued attack on Canada’s auto sector and the tens of thousands of workers it supports.

“Trump’s move to tweak his auto tariff plan is nothing but window dressing — it changes nothing for Canadian workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Canada is not the problem and never has been. This is a deliberate strategy by the U.S. to siphon investment out of Canada and steal our jobs. It’s unacceptable — and we will not stand by while our industry is undermined.”

Canada and the U.S. maintain a nearly balanced automotive trade, while the U.S. imports approximately 3.5 million vehicles each year from outside North America, primarily from Japan, South Korea, and Germany.

Rather than ending the unjust tariffs on Canadian goods, the Trump administration has concocted a temporary and convoluted tariff offset scheme designed to shield U.S. plants while continuing to treat Canada as a trade enemy. This stopgap measure may prevent an immediate collapse of U.S. auto production but still delivers a crushing blow to Canada’s tightly linked supply chain.

Unifor has long warned that disrupting the deeply integrated Canada-U.S. auto sector will trigger production stoppages within days, with devastating consequences on both sides of the border.

“It’s absolutely critical that our newly elected federal government acts with urgency — not only to protect Canadian autoworkers today but to secure the future of our industry,” Payne added. “If automakers want to sell vehicles in Canada, they must be required to build here too.”

Canadians purchase around two million vehicles each year, surpassing the country’s total domestic vehicle production.

In this revised tariff scheme on auto parts, the U.S. excludes Canadian and Mexican-made components that comply with origin rules under the CUSMA trade agreement but continues to apply 25% tariffs on Canadian parts (whether those parts are CUSMA-compliant or not) in Canadian-assembled vehicles.

“This partial tariff patchwork is reckless. The Canadian and U.S. auto industry is built on seamless cross-border trade and any disruption breeds instability, strains manufacturers financially, and puts people out of work,” said Payne. “We need action — not just words — to defend Canadian jobs and keep our industry strong.”