Unifor members from across the country gathered—both in person at the national office in Toronto and through virtual watch parties—for the union’s second national Black History Month event, held on February 22, 2025.

This year’s theme, Black Excellence In Action: Honouring History, Inspiring The Future, underscored the vital contributions of Black Canadians throughout history and their lasting impact on the labour movement and society at large. From organizing for fair wages to breaking down workplace and societal barriers, attendees reflected on the power of collective action in shaping a more just and equitable future for all.

With a packed program of inspiring speeches, educational presentations on inspiring Black leaders, and an African dance performance that got everyone moving, the event left participants feeling energized, empowered, and deeply connected to the ongoing fight for racial justice and equity in our workplaces and communities.

“Black history is labour history. Black workers have led some of the most important fights for justice in our movement,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“When we honour Black history, we’re not just reflecting—we’re learning and recommitting to the urgent work that must be done today to protect jobs, our economy, and our country.”

Payne highlighted the ongoing struggles for fair wages, safe workplaces, and racial justice while emphasizing that unions must remain at the forefront of this important work.

Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi reinforced the importance of ensuring that Black workers and activists have the platform and support they need to lead, organize, and create change.

“Our collective fight for justice isn’t one day, one month, or one moment—it’s an everyday commitment,” said Hashi. “Because while corporations and politicians try to divide us by race, by sector, by region, our greatest power has always come from our ability to stand united. And that unity is how we fight back.”

Hashi also spoke about the intersections of race and labour, noting that Black workers often face greater economic challenges, workplace discrimination, and barriers to leadership.

“We must build a future where Black workers are not just heard, but are at the table and leading the way.”

Members of regional Black, Indigenous, Workers of Color (BIWOC) committees from across the country shared presentations on Black leaders who have shaped Canada’s history.

From civil rights activists to trailblazers in labour and politics, these stories served as a reminder of the resilience, strength, and contributions of Black Canadians.

Dereck Berry, Unifor’s National Executive Board Black, Indigenous, Workers of Colour Representative, emceed the gathering, and spoke to the importance of honouring the legacy of Black activists whose work continue to inspire generations of union activists today.

Unifor welcomed special guest speaker Floydeen Charles-Fridal, who delivered a powerful address on the importance of community, solidarity, and collective action in the fight for racial justice. She emphasized that progress is only possible when communities support one another, lift each other up, and refuse to leave anyone behind.

Charles-Fridalis a dedicated community leader with over 30 years of experience in social and health services, advocating for communities most often marginalized.

To close the event, attendees enjoyed a high-energy Afro dance performance by Afronto, a Toronto-based collective dedicated to preserving and celebrating African dance culture. The performance was a powerful expression of joy, culture, and unity—a fitting conclusion to a night dedicated to honoring Black excellence.

Looking ahead

Unifor remains committed to advancing anti-racism, equity, and justice year-round.

As we continue organizing, mobilizing, and demanding justice, Unifor encourages all members to carry this spirit forward, amplify Black voices, and take action for justice in their workplaces, communities, and beyond.

BRAMPTON- Stellantis’ unexpected announcement today of a temporary pause in work on the next generation Jeep Compass, including activities at the Brampton Assembly Plant, is a matter of grave concern says Unifor.

 

“The company has reassured the union that vehicle production plans are still in place for Brampton, although the timing of this announcement raises very serious concerns for Unifor members both in the plant doing the retooling work and those on layoff,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

 

“The chaos and uncertainty plaguing the North American auto industry, which is under the constant threat of tariffs and a dismantling of EV regulations from the United States, are having real-time impacts on workers and corporate decisions. We have been saying this as a union from day one that the threats are also dangerous to our economy and to Canadian jobs.”

 

Under the terms of the 2023 Unifor-Stellantis collective agreement, and with support from the Federal and Ontario governments, Brampton Assembly is being retooled to build next-generation electric and gas-powered vehicles for the company’s Jeep brand. Once complete, Brampton Assembly, which employed approximately 3,000 workers, is expected to return to a full capacity, three-shift operation.

 

“Our members in the auto sector understand the ups and downs of the industry, so a timing delay isn’t out of the ordinary,” Payne said. “However, this is not an ordinary time and because of the threats and chaos, we know our members are feeling additional worry right now. And rightfully so. I want to remind everyone that Stellantis is contractually committed to this vehicle program, and we expect the company to live up to its commitments to our members and to the governments of Canada and Ontario.”

 

In 2023 contract negotiations, the union and company agreed to enhanced income supports for plant workers, with some facing a retooling layoff period of up to two-years. The temporary pause announced today calls that timing into question.

 

“We believe vehicle production will continue in Brampton, moving forward, but we think it’s overly optimistic to think our production start-date in the fourth quarter of 2025 stays on track,” said Vito Beato, President of Local 1285. “We need to be clear about these timelines, and we need to make sure that our members are protected in the event of any change that may affect their income security.”

 

The impact of a delayed start at Brampton would have spill-over effects on local parts supplier firms tied to vehicle production, including thousands of union and non-union workers.

 

Unifor represents more than 8,000 members at Stellantis facilities in Canada, including the Windsor Assembly Plant, Brampton Assembly Plant, Etobicoke Casting Plant, Red Deer Parts Distribution Centre and Mississauga Parts Distribution Centre.

 

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