International trade

Hundreds of members gathered at the Unifor Local 1285 hall on February 19 to hear an update on the union’s push to reopen the idled Stellantis Brampton Assembly Plant.

Unifor Local 1285 President Vito Beato opened the meeting with a message of resolve, vowing to hold the company accountable.

TORONTO- The U.S. Supreme Court ruling to strike down tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) represents a legal rebuke of presidential overreach but does nothing to resolve the ongoing trade crisis threatening Canadian jobs and key industrial sectors.

TORONTO– Unifor welcomes measures in the new federal auto policy to map the direction of industry, with the understanding that this plan must be backed by bold action to safeguard Canadian auto jobs and ensure a future for autoworkers at idled plants in both Brampton and Ingersoll. 

“We need a strategy that reassures workers that automaking has a future in Canada, regardless of U.S. trade attacks,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. 

OSHAWA–Workers at the General Motors Oshawa Assembly Complex will report for the final third shift today, as the company eliminates more than 700 direct jobs with hundreds of additional jobs lost at supply chain companies. The job cuts come in the same week GM reported more than $12 billion in pre-tax earnings for 2025, along with a plan to boost shareholders earnings through dividend increases and a $6 billion share buyback.

Lana Payne outlined Unifor’s position on imports of made-in-China EV imports, calling for action to protect Canadian autoworkers.

TORONTO–The Canadian government’s decision to open the door to China-owned EV imports poses extreme risk to Canadian auto jobs and the future of our entire auto sector. 

“This is a self-inflicted wound to an already injured Canadian auto industry,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Providing a foothold to cheap Chinese EVs, backed by massive state subsidies, overproduction and designed to expand market share through exports, puts Canadian auto jobs at risk while rewarding labour violations and unfair trade practices.” 

Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray, Atlantic Area Director Mike MacMullin and Forestry Director Ian Hutchison met with several representatives from the New Brunswick government to discuss supporting good jobs in the province and the need to avoid future layoffs due to escalating energy costs.

TORONTO– Unifor is encouraged by new federal government support measures for the forestry and steel industries, both of which have been hard-hit by the ongoing U.S. trade war.

This past year has tested workers across the country. The trade war has brought real uncertainty into our workplaces and our communities, and too many families are feeling the impact.