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The sudden and unprovoked Trump initiated trade war between the United States and Canada as well as the inflammatory comments made about Canada’s sovereignty have shocked Canadian aerospace workers.
As the trade war intensifies, our union remains focused on advocating for the comprehensive recommendations in Unifor's aerospace policy adopted last year. That includes the creation of a national aerospace industrial strategy in Canada. Unifor's Aerospace Council expects all levels of government to work with our union and adopt our vision for creating a strong and resilient aerospace sector that prioritizes protecting and creating good aerospace jobs. The union has also called on federal and provincial governments to intensify our response to U.S. tariffs specifically aimed at supporting the industry. This response must include negotiations with the European Union, to manufacture aerospace and military equipment in Canada, engage in joint research, development and innovation initiatives and secure preferred procurement status for Canada.
U.S. and Canadian aerospace supply chains are highly integrated. Canada maintains significant exposure to the U.S. market and exports close to 60% of the aircrafts, engines, and aerospace parts it manufactures to the United States.
Threats made by the Trump administration will have a direct impact on the industry going forward. The Council strongly opposes such disruptions and maintains hope that they will prove temporary but acknowledges the need to respond.
Targeted and strategic retaliatory measures are essential in the fight against Trump’s trade war. Canada must also renew its approach to the aerospace industry with an emphasis on resiliency, sovereignty, and the need to seek out new partnerships.
Protecting jobs and strengthening Canada’s aerospace industry
Now more than ever, Unifor believes the Canadian aerospace industry needs bold and decisive action. The industry has strong and deep roots in Canada that must be utilized to deliver on the country’s priorities.
Efforts to secure Canada’s aerospace industry are critical in the face of the trade war with the United States, global supply chain disruptions and increasing competition from international markets.
Without a strong, forward-thinking industrial strategy, Canada is at a serious risk of losing the most high-value jobs and technological leadership in aerospace manufacturing and MRO services.
Unifor’s Aerospace industrial policy
Prior to the election of Donald Trump and the dramatic shift in U.S. policy to open a full-scale trade war with Canada, the union delivered a comprehensive aerospace industrial strategy, Building for the Next Generation: A Workers’ Strategy for Canada’s Aerospace Industry. The strategy is the result of extensive research and consultation with Unifor members, employers, governments, training centers and academia.
The strategy includes four key pillars that require multi-stakeholder cooperation to build a highly skilled and adaptable workforce that will deliver made-in-Canada products and innovation and is supported by government investment and procurement focussed on growing the industry in Canada.
Now is the time for action
The Council believes the recommendations contained in its latest strategy – built on decades of prior assessments – provide the necessary insight to inform public policy decisions and can set the stage for immediate interventions.
The need for bold and strategic action to protect aerospace workers, increase jobs, enhance domestic production, and safeguard the aerospace supply chain cannot be further delayed.
Unifor will actively advocate for our industry, its workers, and our communities in the face of these threats.
Canada must act now.
About the Unifor Aerospace Council
Unifor is Canada’s largest private-sector union, representing more than 10,000 aerospace workers across the country in manufacturing, MRO, and related industries. The Unifor Aerospace Council brings together local unions, bargaining units, and members to advocate for policies that protect jobs, improve working conditions, and strengthen the aerospace sector.
Through strategic collaboration with industry partners and all levels of government, Unifor is committed to ensuring a thriving and competitive aerospace industry that benefits workers and the Canadian economy alike.
Visit www.aerounifor.org for the full information on Unifor’s aerospace policy.
