Post by Lana Payne

Dear Unifor members:

At no time in my lifetime have I felt this worried for the world we live in, but also this hopeful about what we can accomplish as Canadians. Seeing our country come together in solidarity to defend itself, and witnessing all of us stand up together, has been extraordinary. The actions of Canadians these past few weeks have been inspiring.

I know these are scary and uncertain times. Let’s remember, uncertainty and chaos is the goal of President Trump and his administration.

There is no doubt that the threats we are facing are real. I have said this from the start.

He is coming for our jobs. His goal is to weaken our economy, to divert the very investment that results in jobs for the people of Canada. And in turn, he wants to weaken our country. He has constantly insulted us since being inaugurated on January 20^th, with repeated comments that Canada should become the 51^st state.

But what we have seen in the past weeks has been a resolve that few likely anticipated. We have seen Canadians step up from coast to coast to coast. They have said their country is worth fighting for and they are here to do that, from buying Canadian, to supporting made-in-Canada, to a near consensus on supporting strong industrial made-in-Canada plans.

We have an economy in this country, and we’d like to keep it.

We have a country to defend and jobs to protect. And from what I have seen Canadians are more than up to the challenge.

Since my appointment to the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-United States Relations, we met several times, including with the federal cabinet. I also joined the Council to  participate in the Emergency National Summit called by the Prime Minister.

The last meeting, held virtually on February 14^th, allowed members of the Council to continue with our advice to the Prime Minister, given the constant threats from the President of the United States.

The meeting followed the latest proclamation that the U.S. would apply 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum as of March 12^th. Of course, this will have an impact on those sectors, but also the sectors that rely on steel and aluminum as inputs in their manufacturing, such as auto and aerospace. Trump also said he would announce auto specific tariffs on April 2. In addition, Canada is facing 25% across the board tariffs which were paused most recently until March 4^th. Significantly, if imposed these tariffs would be compounded which could result in the steel and aluminum tariffs jumping to 50%. Every day brings a new threat, a new attack.

The reality is, as I have repeatedly noted at the Council meetings, whether tariffs are actually imposed or not, it’s the continuous threat of tariffs that is doing damage to our economy. Businesses are holding back on investments in Canadian workplaces, and in some cases cancel expansion plans altogether, costing jobs. Some companies have announced plans to shift production to the US.

And because we are a union, we know very well there will be some corporations who choose to sell us out in order to appease Trump and protect their profits. And worse: there are those who think Canada should roll over and give in to Trump’s demands. Demands that continue to grow by the day.

No. The answer is not to give in to the demands. The answer is to fight back.

There is no going back from this moment.

There are two pressing challenges before us, as a nation. Challenges we must tackle at the same time: what we do to defend our economy against Trump’s attacks, and what we do to build an economy more resilient than ever.

I have continued to highlight a number of key points with the Prime Minister’s Council:

1. The pressing need for a robust worker-led industrial response in the event of a full-blown trade war.
2. The urgent need to make improvements to our inadequate social safety net since workers will feel the impacts of an economy under constant threat.
3. The need to be strong and determined in our response to the Trump threats, including retaliatory tariffs and non-tariff measures. Non-tariff retaliation can include a number of proactive actions to secure a more resilient Canadian economy. Procurement and using the hundreds of billions of dollars governments spend in Canada each year on the purchase of goods or the building of infrastructure can be put to immediate use to shore up Canadian industries, support the building of industrial plans for key sectors of the economy, while putting Canadians to work building the things we need. Made in Canada matters and supporting Made in Canada has never mattered more.
4. Made-in-Canada industrial plans are critical. We must put in place high-level sector tables with industry, labour and government to plot a course forward. There is a lot in Canada’s control. We have leverage. We have resources and skills the world needs and we can support the building of Canadian manufacturing. In some cases, public infrastructure will need to fill the gaps left by the private sector. It’s time for us as a nation to rethink how we did things in the past and how we must do them in future. This means shedding old approaches, approaches that never worked that well, but certainly can’t in the new world we find ourselves.
5. We of course must look to diversify trade and form alliances with the nations of the world who are also feeling the wrath of the Trump administration’s approach to foreign affairs and economic policy that includes tariffs on most of the world.
6. We must secure investments and increase our value-added production in sectors like auto, aerospace, forestry, energy, mining and others who are strongly intertwined with the United States. In this regard Unifor has been working continuously with governments and industry.
7. We must make sure in this very difficult time for the world, that we are doing everything possible to protect Canadian media and the content we make here in Canada and in Quebec. This will be crucial as maintaining our identity and our knowledge of and connection to each other will be even more important in these times. We need strong Canadian media telling real Canadian stories and reporting on our very own local news.
8. If there is to be increased spending in defence, then let it be to defend our sovereignty as a nation and make sure it benefits Canadian workers, including workers in the steel and aluminum industries.
9. Restricting foreign ownership of critical minerals and other resources important to our national security.

The ideas above, and others, are what Unifor – your union – has been putting forward in our work to protect jobs in Canada.

In short: let’s put worker solidarity and voice at the heart of everything we do.

A few additional thoughts.

This economy didn’t work for a lot of us. But we have an opportunity to reinvent how we do things in Canada. The possibilities are endless when the goal is achieving a more resilient Canadian economy.

Here is what I know. I know what this union is capable of when we come together. I know what this country is capable of when Canadians come together with purpose and passion and a knowledge that we can build an even stronger nation where no one gets left behind. We do it by imagining what is possible. And it is the time to do exactly that.

So let’s go.

All my solidarity, always

Lana

Montreal– Unifor Quebec, which represents thousands of workers in the aerospace sector, applauds the federal government’s announcement that it will award a major contract to CAE for the training of CF-35A pilots. Valued at $5 billion over 37 years, this contract will create some 1,100 direct jobs, and promises to generate significant economic benefits for Quebec and the country as a whole.

“Faced with the threat of a tariff war, we have no choice but to rethink our approach to procurement. We need to make a more deliberate effort to mobilize our own aerospace sector and protect our manufacturing base. This announcement is a step in the right direction. We call on the federal government to maintain this strategy when awarding future contracts.”

– Daniel Cloutier, Unifor Quebec Director 

“This announcement marks a major step forward in consolidating Quebec know-how in a cutting-edge industry. I’m confident that our members are eager to put their expertise to work to ensure the success of this partnership. We expect this contract to generate many positive spin-offs, including sustainable, well-paying jobs, while supporting innovation and the next generation in our industry.”

– Sophie Albert, President, Unifor Quebec Local 522

Among the 27 recommendations set out in its Aerospace Industry Policy unveiled in Montreal last September, Unifor highlighted the vital role of public procurement in the development of the aerospace sector.

“Project trajectories in aerospace, space and defence sectors should be reviewed with an eye towards maximizing economic benefits to Canada and building Canada’s industrial capacity. The procurement dimension, particularly when these products respond to proven and recurring needs […] is underutilized and underdeveloped in Canada. Unifor sees this as a massive and glaring weakness that must be addressed.”

– Excerpt from Unifor’s Aerospace Industry Policy: “Building for the Next Generation,” unveiled on September 26, 2024

For the full policy, visit https://aerounifor.ca/en/

WINGHAM, ON—Unifor won a historic arbitration award totalling approximately $15 million for nearly 200 union members who worked at Wescast Industries Inc., ending a nearly two-year severance and termination pay dispute between the company and the union.

“We simply cannot overstate the scale or importance of this victory—it is one of the largest and most significant wins for our members who deserve our deepest gratitude for their courage and persistence in this nearly two-year long fight,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Our union was more than happy to give Wescast and its overseas owners a $15 million lesson in workers’ rights. This outcome will set an important precedent for future disputes and send a strong message to any employer that tries to circumvent our collective agreements or labour laws: our solidarity will always be stronger than your greed.”

The arbitrator ruled that Wescast clearly violated its obligations to pay workers enhanced severance and termination pay as outlined in the collective agreement as well as under the province’s Employment Standards Act. The arbitration ruling is valued at an estimated $15 million to be paid to approximately 200 former Wescast workers and includes interest penalties.

“This ruling affirms what we have said all along, that Wescast blatantly violated the collective agreement in addition to Ontario labour law, and that our union would not stop until every worker is paid what that they are owed, plus interest,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi. “This victory clearly shows why workers join our union in the first place. Being a Unifor member means having the ability to stand up to corporations that will stop at nothing to circumvent basic labour laws and violate your rights no matter how many years of loyalty and hard work you’ve put in to your job.”

 

Wescast Industries operated a casting plant for more than a century in Wingham, Ontario until its overseas owner, Bohong Industries Group in China, decided to shut down in 2023. Approximately 200 Unifor Local 4207 members were employed at the plant which primarily cast vehicle engine manifolds for major customers including Ford, GM, Volvo and others. Wescast is a household name in Wingham with its workforce having been largely multi-generational and the town’s community centre bearing the company’s name.

“Although it was heartbreaking to be treated so disrespectfully by this company and see our basic rights trampled on, in the end it was heartening to see all of us united like never before,” said Unifor Local 4207 Plant Chair Joel Sutton. “I am proud that our legacy as Wescast workers is that we stood up for ourselves, took this fight head-on, and won a significant victory that not only benefits us, but all workers across Canada.”

For nearly two years, the union’s membership, elected representatives and numerous staff engaged in significant efforts to hold Wescast and its owners accountable. Those efforts included putting significant public pressure on the company by repeatedly publicly condemning the company’s actions, holding a mass rally for workers in Wingham, writing letters to the Premier of Ontario and Minister of Labour, bringing Wescast workers to directly lobby the Government of Ontario, in addition to the union’s direct legal, bargaining and membership mobilization work.