Canadian auto workers are banding together and strategizing as sweeping tariffs from the United States on Canadian vehicles, parts, and raw materials threaten tens of thousands of jobs and billions in manufacturing investment.

In an Aug. 15 national webinar on auto tariffs, Unifor President Lana Payne told auto sector members that the union’s position is clear: If you sell in Canada, you must build in Canada.

“We have been clear that a bad deal, that legitimizes tariffs with the United States is worse than no deal at all right now,” said Payne.

“This is the fight of our lives, [and] we may need to be prepared to lay it all on the line.  There is so much at stake right now and at risk. We’re up against a U.S. President who has been very clear about he wants – he wants auto jobs and is willing to use extortion and threats on a daily basis to get them. And it is us – collectively – that is standing in his way.”

Since the U.S. imposed tariffs of up to 50% on steel, aluminum and copper products, 25% on finished vehicles and parts, and other levies on key manufacturing inputs, the Canadian auto sector has been scrambling to adjust. The measures, including different treatment for CUSMA complying goods, are framed by the White House as a way to protect American jobs, but instead are designed to shift vehicle assembly south of the border.

“If these tariffs are not dealt with, the Canadian and North American auto industry will never look the same. And we need to look at this as a crisis,” said Trevor Longpre, Local 199 General Motors Plant Chair at the St. Catharine Propulsion Plant and GM Master Bargaining Committee Chair.

“Maybe the biggest industrial crisis we will face in our lifetimes. And everything is at stake.”

Unifor Research Director Angelo DiCaro warned that Canadians should be prepared for more incoming stings on the tariff front.

“Heavy trucks, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, aircraft, drones wood products, critical minerals and polysilicon — this list grows much larger,” he said. “We’re nowhere out of the woods yet, and there’s more damage still to come.”

The federal government needs to use its full force to establish a permanent resolve that is based on zero tariffs, for the Canadian auto industry, DiCaro added, and that auto manufacturers must maintain their Canadian investments commitment and production footprints.

While Canadian-made parts shipped directly to U.S. plants currently avoid tariffs under a temporary reprieve, parts inside Canadian-assembled vehicles exported to the United States are hit with the full 25% levy. Unifor argues this loophole is intentional, keeping American assembly plants running while undermining Canada’s.

The impact is already visible. Stellantis has delayed planned electric vehicle retooling at its Brampton assembly plant. Its Windsor plant has seen production slowdowns and a postponed third shift. General Motors has also announced job and production cuts at Oshawa and Ingersoll.

Unifor is urging Ottawa to respond forcefully, including continued counter tariffs on vehicles built in U.S. and ensuring that automakers in Canada who benefit from tariff exemptions maintain their Canadian workforce and investment commitments.

The union is also pressing the federal government to deploy its $2 billion Strategic Response Fund to keep the auto sector afloat during the trade dispute.

“Auto workers and steel workers and forestry workers must not pay the price of this trade war.”

Payne said Unifor is preparing a second phase of its “Protect Canadian Jobs” campaign this fall, with rallies planned in key auto towns, and is asking for not only auto workers, but all members from different industries, to come together in solidarity to fight.

“We don’t give up, and I know that I can count on all of you to be there in the days and weeks ahead, no matter what is asked of us,” she said. “So please stay strong.”

Unifor is reiterating its position that bold action is needed from the Government of Canada in order to build a resilient economy in its submission to the finance committee’s consultation process in advance of the Fall 2025 Federal Budget.

“This is a critical moment for the federal government to support Canadian workers and industries by prioritizing Made-in-Canada. Every public procurement decision is an economic policy decision–a strong economic plan and industrial strategy supports Canadian workers, expands our supply chains, and bolsters our resilience as we fight back against President Trump’s tariff attacks,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.

“In these uncertain times, workers need strong, forward-looking industrial strategies that set up our industries and workers for success.”

In its submission, Unifor challenged the federal government to design and implement solutions that reduce Canada’s over-reliance on the U.S., defend Canada’s national interest, respond to ongoing threats levied by President Trump, and pursue a strategy of good, union job growth.

The union presented five strategies on how government can achieve this–including by leveraging domestic economic strengths, building stronger connections between provinces, and advancing close economic relationships with allies:

• Penalize companies that move jobs to the United States;
• Fortify East-West energy linkages;
• Ensure defence spending that supports Canadian industries;
• Restrict foreign ownership of critical minerals;
• Support forestry with a Made-in-Canada affordable home strategy.

In its submission for the fall 2025 budget, Unifor also outlined several sector-specific recommendations to:

• Resolve the U.S. tariff dispute and support Canadian industries severely impacted, including in automotive, aluminum and steel;
• Establish targeted aerospace industry investment and job creation programs;
• Improve travel and working conditions in the aviation industry based on Unifor’s Aviation Workers’ Charter of Rights and Freedoms roadmap;
• Create an energy investment policy that supports energy solutions built in Canada for the unique Canadian economy and climate, and reduces emissions that drive climate change;
• Address the negative impacts of wildland fires through a forest fire strategy that incorporates climate change and fire mitigation, risk management, and disaster planning;
• Provide support for media workers and increased access to local news, while better protecting journalists and media workers from harassment and abuse;
• Expand infrastructure funding to local public transit and maximize Canadian content in procurements, including finalizing that subway cars for the Toronto Transit Commission are made in the Thunder Bay Alstom plant;
• Reject any privatization schemes for VIA Rail and develop a funding program that keeps VIA Rail public;
• Enhance labour standards and workplace safety for long-haul drivers in the road transportation sector; and
• Implement legislation requiring telecommunications companies in receipt of federal funding to report contracting out and ensure universal access to affordable wireless and broadband internet plans.

Unifor also highlighted the need to fix Employment Insurance, so it works for workers, and stronger protections for workers during employer insolvency.

Read more about these recommendations, including how government can act to improve and protect housing, pharmacare, long-term care childcare and more in the full submission.

Working people and communities across Canada continue to be adversely impacted by wildland fires, including forest fires and grassland fires. Forestry workers and forestry-dependent communities have experienced the devastating effects of forest fires, including loss of livelihoods, loss of homes and community infrastructure, and short- and long-term health challenges.

As Canada’s union for forestry workers, as well as for forest firefighters in the Quebec region (SOPFEU), Unifor has a responsibility to advocate for laws, policies, regulations and other measures that will provide urgent support for workers, communities and ecosystems impacted by wildland fires. At the same time, we have an obligation to address the underlying causes of wildland fires, to mitigate risks, and help build a safer, more resilient and more sustainable future for forestry workers, communities, and ecosystems.

Wildland fires, including forest fires and grassland fires, are a vital ecological process that support habitat health, diversity, and regeneration. At the same time, it is clear that climate change is influencing the frequency, intensity, and geographic distribution of wildland fires.

A Record-Setting Year and the “New Normal”

The 2025 season is proving to be destructive as well, all areas of the country continue to cope with the impacts and risks from wildland fires, and this increasingly includes Canada’s North.

While the 2024 fire season and the 2025 season (to date) seem somewhat less destructive overall, all areas of the country will continue to face impacts and risks from wildland fires, and this increasingly includes Canada’s North.

Wildland fires can harm human health and well-being, communities, and cultural and economic resources. Unifor workplaces and communities that are home to Unifor members face increasing risks of disruption and destruction, and our union has a critical role to play in addressing and mitigating these negative impacts.

Forestry Sector Responses to Forest Fires

Within our Forestry Sector, we have no choice but to incorporate climate change and fire mitigation, risk management, and disaster planning into all aspects of our work. This includes incorporating forest fire mitigation into our policy work and when providing expert feedback during government consultations. And it also means considering the impacts of forest fires during collective bargaining.

This work is especially relevant for forest firefighters, some of whom are Unifor members – including forest firefighters in the Quebec region (SOPFEU). We must continue to advocate for stronger workplace protections and safer working conditions for these front-line workers, along with better wages and job security. They risk their lives to protect people, communities and natural habitats, and they deserve our unwavering support and solidarity.

Leveraging Canada’s Aerospace Capacity and Expertise

Unifor is also playing a role in terms of the equipment needed to fight wildland fires. The Unifor Aerospace Strategy includes a recommendation meant to address the current water bomber shortage that is hampering firefighting efforts by leveraging Canada’s aerospace industry expertise.

Providing Supports at the Community Level

Unifor has more than 2,800 bargaining units and some 650 local unions spread out from coast-to-coast-to-coast, and our union plays a vital role in the communities in which our members work. When wildland fires impact these communities, our union locals often play a critical role in providing supports during and after fire events, including during evacuations and rebuilding efforts.

Wildland Fires and the Fight Against Climate Change

At the same time and in the longer term, Unifor will continue to combat climate change, and help our members, communities and governments at all levels draw the connections between human-caused climate change and wildland fires.

Within our own union, Unifor has established the National Climate Taskforce, built on the powerful principle that the fight against climate change is not just an environmental issue but a labour issue, and it requires the collective effort of workers and unions to drive lasting change. Made up of rank-and-file activists, local and national elected leaders, and staff, the Unifor National Climate Taskforce aims to bring members into the conversation on climate and sustainable jobs, through the development of a vision that transforms all of Canada’s industries while leaving no worker behind.

The Taskforce has directly drawn on the experiences of Unifor members in the forestry sector and sought to establish biodiversity and forest management as key drivers of economic transition. In both its outreach to members and engagement with policymakers, the Taskforce has emphasized that these policies intersect with workers’ livelihoods, threatening job loss and dislocation in the absence of a clear transition strategy for impacted workers.

In addition to this ongoing internal work, Unifor continues to participate in a number of government and industry advisory panels related to fighting climate change. For example, Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor Western Regional Director, is a member of the Sustainable Jobs Partnership Council, a tripartite body convened to provide independent, expert advice to the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and the Government of Canada on measures and policies related to sustainable jobs, including the Sustainable Jobs Action Plan.

Unifor is committed to advancing ambitious, comprehensive industrial policies to future-proof the industries in which our members work, combating climate change, and moving Canada toward a net zero economy, all while building good union jobs along the way.