TORONTO, Feb. 1, 2025
/CNW/ - Canada must retaliate
swiftly and definitively to the unjust imposition of a sweeping 25%
tariff on Canadian goods and 10% tariff on energy imported to
the United States, says
Unifor.
"With the implementation of these tariffs, President Trump has
declared a trade war with Canada
and with Canadian workers," said Unifor National President
Lana Payne. "Trump's decision to go
to battle with America's largest trading partner will hurt working
people on both sides of the border and inflict real economic damage
to both countries."
The U.S. tariffs are reportedly scheduled to come into effect on
Tuesday February 4, 2025.
"I believe Trump has underestimated Canadians. He has failed to
realize that he has enraged and united an entire nation that is
ready to fight to defend every last job in this country," said
Payne. "We will never forget this act of hostility against our
workers, and we must take every measure
possible – utilize every ounce of creativity we
have – to build a strong, resilient, and
diverse economy to never be held hostage by America again."
Payne, a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Canada-U.S.
Relations, has called for a strong response to tariffs in addition
to other measures including Buy Canadian protocols, leveraging
procurement policies to support Canadian jobs and industries and
better management of strategic national resources through
industrial policy.
Unifor has also called for enhanced income supports for workers
with improved access to Employment Insurance benefits and emergency
relief programs to mitigate risk of layoff and sustain companies in
their operations.
Read Unifor's recommendations to protect jobs and shore up the
economy here.
Unifor is Canada's largest
union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every
major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working
people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in
Canada and abroad, and strives to
create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor
