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.