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.”

On April 28, Canadians observe the National Day of Mourning to honour workers who have lost their lives, been injured, or become ill due to workplace incidents. This day is a reminder of the importance of prioritizing health and safety in every workplace. It encourages reflection, remembrance, and engagement on our shared commitment to preventing future tragedies by creating safer working environments for all.

More than 1,000 workers die each year in Canada due to workplace injuries and occupational diseases. However, the true toll is far greater. Many incidents go unreported or are not acknowledged by compensation systems, leaving countless cases of work-related harm invisible and unaddressed.

Prevention starts in the workplace with empowered joint health and safety committees and worker representatives, committed employers, and competent supervisors.

Governments must also take stronger action through improved regulation and enforcement to ensure safe, healthy working conditions for all.

To date in 2025, Unifor mourns the loss of brother Peter Lecerf, 54, a DHL Alberta owner-operator, who tragically passed away following a motor vehicle accident on the job in Cochrane, Alberta. He succumbed to his injuries on January 10, 2025.

In addition, there have been other heartbreaking losses reported this year, including workplace deaths linked to personal medical events and accepted compensation claims related to occupational diseases.

Unifor honours the memory of all those we’ve lost by reaffirming our unwavering commitment to improving workplace health and safety. This means holding employers, regulators, and decision-makers accountable and ensuring that safety is not just a priority on paper, but a lived reality across every sector and in every workplace, from executive offices to job sites.

Unifor activists are driving real change, challenging the status quo to strengthen protections, enhance programs, and shift workplace priorities toward greater safety and well-being. This work is often met with resistance from employers who prioritize profits over people, but it is essential. Health and safety advocacy is not a side issue—it is core to our mission as a union and the foundation of protecting every worker.

Wherever you work in Canada, let’s take a moment to reflect and take one meaningful action to make our workplace safer today and into the future. From elevating training standards and proactively identifying hazards to offering support for mental health, together we can reduce workplace injuries and fatalities.