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For more than 60 years, the Canadian and American auto industries have depended on each other. Together, we build best-in-class cars and trucks that remain the envy of the world. Unionized autoworkers fought for and won gold standard collective agreements that created good jobs, raised living standards and built strong, vibrant communities. Two-way trade in automotive goods is about $160 billion per year and split virtually down the middle in near perfect balance. There is no better, fairer, and more productive trade relationship.
The ongoing threat of tariffs by the United States on Canada is an attack on Canadian jobs. These tariffs would cause an industrial crisis in the automotive sector on a scale never seen. An unprovoked trade war between North American countries not only upends decades of shared development and mutual benefit but also represents a betrayal of the greatest magnitude that will have consequences for autoworkers.
If tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles and parts come to pass, we anticipate the North American industry will grind to a halt, likely within days. The cost of building vehicles will rise exponentially. Production lines will freeze, and the effects will ripple to workers across the supply chain. Consequently, and with the cost of new vehicles rising, consumers will shift to relatively cheaper, imported vehicles – those built in non-North American assembly plants. This presents a disaster scenario for autoworkers in all three countries.
North American autoworkers have, for years, been unfairly burdened by bad trade policies. Of all the vehicles sold in North America last year, 5 million were built in places other than North America, which is unlike most auto-producing regions in the world. Most of these imports (3.5 million, or 70% of the total) were sold in the United States.
Rather than encouraging importing automakers to invest and build more in North America, where they sell these cars, the U.S. President has instead taken aim at his allies. In turn, he’s given importing automakers an even easier path to undercut domestic jobs. This reflects a clear lack of understanding of the car industry and the challenges autoworkers face.
Unifor’s Auto Council and Independent Parts Supplier Council, and our 37,000 combined members, are committed to defend the Canadian auto industry, to protect jobs, investments and industrial capacity through whatever means necessary.
We join with millions of other Canadians, labour unions, businesses and across civil society calling for an immediate and permanent end to this tariff threat.
We will fight to keep production moving for as long as possible, and work on contingency plans with automakers and parts manufacturers. Canada remains an important part of the North American auto market, representing more than 2 million vehicles sold per year. Access to Canada’s domestic market matters and we will continue to build vehicles and parts for our market and international markets.
We will fight to defend and preserve our factories, our tools and machinery; we will work to sustain operations, and ensure they serve Canada’s productive, industrial objectives and ambitions.
We will continue working with federal, provincial and municipal governments to develop economic protection and financial assistance plans, trade diversification strategies, mitigate job losses and enhance income security provisions for all workers. And we will lean on our strong collective agreement provisions to ensure our members – and all Canadian autoworkers – can navigate this challenge.
Above all, we will work to end this economic threat that imperils our industry and our broader economy. We will coordinate with like-minded allies, and those willing to stand up for a brighter, more prosperous future of fair trade, good jobs, global solidarity, and mutual respect.
John D'Agnolo
President, Unifor Local 200
Unifor-Ford Master Bargaining Committee Chairperson
Unifor Auto Council Chairperson
Emile Nabbout
President, Unifor Local 195
Unifor Independent Parts Supplier Council President
Marc Brennan
Plant Chairperson, Oakville Assembly, Unifor Local 707
Unifor-Ford Master Bargaining Committee Vice-Chairperson
James Stewart
President, Unifor Local 444
Unifor-Stellantis Master Bargaining Committee Chairperson
Vito Beato
President, Unifor Local 1285
Unifor-Stellantis Master Bargaining Committee Vice-Chairperson
Jason Gale
Plant Chairperson, Oshawa Assembly, Unifor Local 222
Unifor-GM Master Bargaining Committee Chairperson
Trevor Longpre
Plant Chairperson, St. Catharines Propulsion Plant, Unifor Local 199
Unifor-GM Master Bargaining Committee Vice-Chairperson
Mike Van Boekel
Plant Chairperson, CAMI Assembly Plant, Unifor Local 88
Unifor-CAMI Bargaining Committee Chairperson
Mike D'Agnolo
First Vice-President, Unifor Local 444
Unifor Independent Parts Supplier Council Treasurer
Jody Schneider
Plant Chairperson, Android Industries, Unifor Local 1285
Unifor Independent Parts Supplier Council Recording Secretary
Larry Herrington
Plant Chairperson, Android Industries, Unifor Local 222
Unifor Independent Parts Supplier Council Vice-President
