Update by Lana Payne, National President

Thursday, March 20, 2025

 

Dear Unifor Members:

I know everyday brings new turmoil as a result of the chaos-driven policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. These past weeks have been filled with concern and anxiety.

From my vantage point, there is uncertainty, but there is also the incredible resolve and determination shown by our members and by all Canadians across the country, from different regions, provinces, sectors and communities.

For months, we have not stopped doing what we do best: take up all spaces to advocate for workers and to demand that working people, our families and communities, be at the heart of the decisions being made. One of the strengths of our union is that we have a deeply representative structure. This allows us to contribute to the planning on how Canada must deal and negotiate with Trump. It allows us to articulate clearly what is needed to build a stronger economy: by using the incredible resources we have in this country, the first of which is the world-class skills of our working people.

For sure, these are unprecedented times, but as I have said from the beginning of this trade and investment war launched by the United States, Canada has great leverage. There is a lot we can do as a country, and there is a lot in our control. We can and must build a more resilient Canadian economy and we must not delay making the structural economic change that will guarantee a prosperous future for generations of working Canadians.

The number of great ideas that have been shared with me, developed through our union, and discussed among our many union spaces is inspiring. This process feeds my participation in the PM Council and has, from the start, helped to steer our country’s response in a way that benefits Canada’s working people. You may have seen me share some of our bold proposals in the media and at Unifor events.

You can view the most recent actions that I have been advocating for to protect jobs, strengthen our economy and defend our sovereignty here. Watch to see more posted online through Unifor’s channels in the coming weeks.

We have a country to defend and jobs to protect so now is the time to put visionary ideas on the table.

There is no doubt that the unity of Canadians and the show of force from retaliatory tariffs to buying Canadian are having an impact. American media and Americans themselves are waking up to the damaging impacts of this trade war. A growing number of Americans are speaking out. And we need more of them to do so.

In the meantime, Canada continues to stand firm. Calm and carrying on. United in solidarity.

This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney gathered the PM Council on Canada U.S. Trade Relations just as he returned from Europe, where he continued on the path started by PM Trudeau to shore up European relations with Canada. This Council has been active for a number of months now and is continuing its great advisory role in Canada’s response.

I had urged the new prime minister to keep the Council in place as we continued to navigate the daily challenges posed by the U.S. President. I was pleased to see that Prime Minister Carney did exactly that.

Earlier this month, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum. We have already seen layoffs in the steel industry. We know the longer these tariffs continue, the more challenging it will be for the aluminum industry, where more than 2,500 Unifor members work. It will also become more expensive to build vehicles and planes, impacting the aerospace and auto sectors, where tens of thousands of Unifor members work.

The next big date to monitor is April 2 when we expect to see global tariffs from the Trump administration as well as possible additional sectoral tariffs including on Canada and Mexico. We all know the compounding impact of these tariffs will destroy jobs and throw our economy into a recession. It will also hurt workers and the economy in the United States.

It is our position that once again, Canada will need to be strategic and focused in its response. We will need to consider many non-tariff actions in addition to counter tariffs. And we must be ready to implement them immediately.

What I want to relay about this week’s PM Council meeting is the approach Canada’s new prime minister is taking: one of calm and getting on with the job of building a strong Canadian economy. Of understanding that any revenue raised from counter tariffs on U.S. products must be used to support Canadian workers and industries.

He listened intently to all Council members who offered wide-ranging advice on getting through the difficult days ahead, and shared examples of what we can do as a country in this moment.

On behalf of all of you, I continued to push for strong, robust worker and industry supports, depending on the types of tariffs we see in April.

There was broad consensus that so long as the threats and tariffs are hanging over our heads, and the disrespect on our country’s sovereignty continues, it is no time to negotiate.

We all agree: the references to Canada as the 51st state must stop. The threats of annexation must stop. The tariffs and threats must stop. Now.

We must get on with building a Canadian economy that uses the many tools at our disposal. Billions and billions of dollars in procurement must be used to build up Canada. Buy Canadian, but also make and build Canadian.

On this note, I recognize that there is nothing normal about the times we live in. I know the uncertainty and concern takes a toll.

Stay strong my friends. Your union is here and fighting everywhere. And there will be more we will do ahead, together. Whatever we have to do to defend Canadians jobs and workers. But know what we have been doing together is working. A strong united Canada will win the day. We are going to keep organizing and fighting. We are going to stay calm, stay strong, and build the economy Canadians want and deserve, here in this country.

All my solidarity,

Lana

On April 28, Canadians will vote to elect Members of Parliament who will form Canada’s next federal government.

This election is critical for our union and for all working people across this country. Given the extremely challenging economic times we live in, there is no doubt that the stakes couldn’t be higher.

I have heard from so many of you over the past few months. Unifor members are worried about the impacts of an escalating trade war initiated by the United States on our jobs, our families and our communities.

This is why we have launched our national Unifor Votes member-to-member campaign to connect with Unifor members, to engage you on our union’s top issues, and to encourage you to get out and vote. Unifor member organizers are already working the phones and knocking on doors to reach out to our members in every region.

Together, we’re going to demonstrate the political power we can have when we organize.

In this election, just like in previous federal elections, Unifor has not endorsed any political parties.

But this election is too important for us to sit on the sidelines.

Our union is putting forward demands to build a strong and resilient economy in Canada. We’re calling on all candidates and political parties to support the interests of working people this election by endorsing our plan to protect Canadian jobs.

Unifor is calling on all parties to commit to the following:

• Protect Canadian jobs with bold industrial policies, to build economic resilience, strengthen our nation, and reduce dependency on the U.S.;
• Strong supports to mitigate job loss, keep workers on payrolls and expand Employment Insurance for those who need it;
• Stand up for equality and the things that make us Canadian by keeping health care public, expanding $10-a-day child care, and taking real steps to end intimate partner violence, and
• Tackle the high costs of living and housing that are holding families and young people back.

This federal election will decide who represents us on the international stage. We need to consider who the best leader is to take on the local and global role of making our economy less reliant on the U.S., and who is ready to take on Trump.

For the next month, our union will work tirelessly to ensure the interest of workers are front and centre.

Our entire economy – and indeed our livelihoods – are depending on it.

Please be sure to engage with our Unifor Votes team when they reach out to you in your community, or virtually.

Third Party Obligations and Paid Advertising

Some local unions sometime choose to pursue their own advocacy through paid advertising during an election campaign. Unifor is registered as a third party for this election, which means that paid advertising by local unions, including issue-based advertising, could expose Unifor and individual locals to significant obligations and risks. Please contact Josh Coles, Unifor Director of Membership Mobilization and Political Action with any questions before making plans to purchase paid advertising at josh.coles@unifor.org.

For Québec, please contact Hugues Perreault, Unifor Quebec’s Political Action and Mobilization Officer, at hugues.perreault@unifor.org with any questions before planning any paid advertising or other election-related expenses.

How to Vote

• Vote in person at any Elections Canada office up until April 22 at 6 p.m.
• Vote at any advance voting location in your electoral district from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. April 18-21.
• Vote at your assigned voting location on election day, Monday April 28.

To read our Union’s priorities in this election visit uniforvotes.ca

To learn more about how Unifor is fighting for a strong and resilient economy in Canada visit the national campaign to Protect Canadian Jobs.

I look forward to connecting with our local unions during this critical federal election.

In solidarity,

Lana Payne
Unifor National President