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In its 2025 federal budget submission, Unifor challenged the federal Liberals to develop smart industrial strategies and further invest in worker and family supports in the last budget of the 44th parliament.
“Canadians know that we’re nearing the end of this electoral term, but we still have high expectations for what this government can, and should, deliver for workers,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Unifor’s looking for stability. For strong forward-looking industrial strategies that set up Canadian industry and workers for success.”
“Our vision addresses the needs of workers today and years down the line. In this next federal budget, government needs to protect and expand the social safety net that we rely on and also set the stage so that workers will have good, sustainable jobs in the decades to come,” continued Payne.
Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier presented the union’s vision to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, focusing specifically on Canada’s aerospace sector.
“Unifor is calling for the creation of a national industrial strategy for aerospace. It’s a necessary step to better align our investments. We are convinced that we must act proactively to ensure that the billions we spend directly benefit Canadian and Quebec aerospace workers,” said Cloutier.
“The future of our aerospace cluster depends on greater coherence and ambition. We've been talking about this for decades. We believe it’s time to act.”
The union launched its vision for the future of the aerospace sector in September 2024 with the release of a new policy.
In its submission on budget 2025, Unifor outlined several sectors in need of forward-looking industrial strategies including recommendations to;
- Fortify Canada’s Aerospace Sector,
- Continue Support for Canada’s Auto Industry,
- Protect Forestry Workers; Invest in Canada’s Forest Sector,
- Invest in Public Transit,
- Ensure Equitable Access to Broadband Internet; Good Jobs in Telecom,
- Invest in Rail Safety; Keep VIA Public,
- Stabilize Air Transportation,
- Support Made in Canada Energy Policy,
- Close the Advertising Tax Loophole; Protect Journalists from Harassment,
- Develop Canada’s Mining Industry, and
- Improve Road Transportation Standards.
Unifor also highlighted the need to dedicate funding for sustainable jobs and to fix EI so it works for workers.
Employment Insurance is the most important economic stabilizer for workers in times of job loss, training, or transition. However, the program is inaccessible to most Canadians.
Unifor recommended that government:
- Lower the variable entrance requirement and eligibility threshold to 360 hours;
- Provide 50 weeks of regular EI benefits in all regions;
- Eliminate the 50-week limit on combined special benefits; extending the reference period to 104 weeks; and
- Increase the income replacement rate to 75% and raise the ceiling on insurable earnings.
Read more about these recommendations, including how government can act to fix housing, long term care, childcare and more in the full submission.
