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Toronto, February 01, 2025 (Globe New Zein) – The National Director of the United Solid Workers Union (USW) issued Marti Warren, the following statement:
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“Today, Donald Trump once again proved that he is not a friend of workers – on both sides of the border. The imposition of a 25 % comprehensive tariff on Canadian exports is a direct attack on workers, our industries and our societies.
Let’s be clear: This customs tariff is reckless, unfounded, and harmful to both Canadian and American workers. This is not related to fair trade. It comes to political positions at the expense of good wage jobs.
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Without a decisive procedure and a quick solution, the consequences can be devastating. More than 2.4 million Canadian jobs depend directly and indirectly on trade with the United States. In 2024, about 1.8 million people worked in the sectors where at least 35 % of jobs depended on the American demand for Canadian exports. This decision threatens hundreds of thousands of these jobs as a result.
Every day, goods cross 3.6 billion dollars from the borders of Canada and the United States, which amount to $ 1.3 trillion annually. This commercial partnership supports 1.4 million American jobs and 2.3 million Canadian jobs. These definitions not only hurt Canada – they threaten the stability of industries on both sides of the border.
Canada cannot stand by it. We expect our governments to take immediate and strong retaliatory measures, so that Canada does not bear the cost of this trade war alone. The Canadian government must do everything in its power to provide support for the protection of affected jobs and workers, including emergency income support, to improve access to labor insurance to help families overcome economic repercussions.
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This is not the right time for partisan policy. Workers and their families need to see all the levels of the government – regardless of the political tape – meet with a clear and unified strategy to protect Canadian jobs and industries. Our response should be identical to the seriousness of this crisis, with rapid measures to protect workers from the consequences of Trump’s reckless policies. Now it is the time to drive, not the partition.
Besides short -term responses, Canada must take important measures to reduce its dependence on American trade by strengthening its manufacturing sector. This means adopting a long -awaited industrial strategy, purchasing policies that give priority to Canadian industries, ensuring that public infrastructure projects use Canadian, aluminum and other materials, and investing in local supply chains that create good jobs and union here at home.
We have passed through this before, and we know how to fight. UsW will stand together with workers, and the government’s pressure to take action and ensure that no worker is left.
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The workers have built this country, and we will not let Donald Trump or any other billionaire politician to torn it. “
About the United Solid Workers Union:
USW represents 225,000 members in almost every economic sector throughout Canada and is the largest private sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Every year, thousands of workers choose to join USW because of the strong federation record in creating healthy, safer and more respectable workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and more just compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
For more information, please contact:
Shannon Devin, USW Etisalat, Sdevine@usw.ca416-938-4402
François Soucy, USW Communications, fsoucy@usw.ca873-355-2841
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