Canadians have every right to be angry and concerned. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have caused significant job losses and transitioning Canada’s economy away from the US is an uncertain process that may take years. In the meantime, Canadians need to feed their families and pay their bills and this economic disruption makes this more challenging. 

However, the trade policies being pursued by the Canadian government both before and after the breakdown of talks with the United States do not offer a real alternative that promotes fair trade or helps Canada address the challenges it faces. 

Unions and labour activists from across Canada, Mexico and the United States are united in their demand that stronger protections for workers’ rights must be included in any new trade deal negotiated between the governments.

Multinational corporations continue to pit workers against each other in a race to the bottom across the three countries. Pro-employer protection unions remain prevalent in Mexico, obstructing the ability of workers to organize and collectively improve their conditions.

Canada was right not to accept a bad deal in the face of the Trump administration’s latest tariff threats. The United States has now imposed new 50 per cent tariffs on over $28 billion worth of Canadian exports after negotiations failed to produce an acceptable agreement. By all accounts the Trump administration demanded further concessions at the last minute, including having a say on Canada’s signing of other trade agreements which is an unacceptable challenge to Canadian sovereignty. These tariffs are unjustified and will hurt workers, communities and industries on both sides of the border.

We have launched a letter campaign aimed at the Government of Canada plus the signer’s local MP. It is time to demands worker-first trade policies from the Canadian government and the CUSMA Review is the first place to start. We must stay the course and not give into Trump. The labour movement in Canada is united behind saying no deal is better than a bad deal.

We debuted this at the Canadian Labour Congress convention and it got a good response there.

Originally published by the European Trade Justice Coalition

Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) threatens a just transition from fossil fuels and the urgent need for a social and ecological transformation for people and the planet. We welcome the recognition and inclusion of this risk within the thematic pillars of the First Conference on Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels.

We call on governments to begin building a coalition of countries committed to freeing themselves from ISDS.

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., M.P. President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada Minister of Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy House of Commons Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 Re: Trinational Civil Society Statement on the Upcoming CUSMA Review

Dear Minister LeBlanc,

As you prepare for the six-year review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), we write to urge a fundamental rebalancing of North American trade cooperation—one centered on the needs of the working people of our three nations, not the narrow interests of corporate elites. For far too long, North American trade rules have advanced a corporate agenda while neglecting workers and rural communities, and efforts to take action on pressing issues such as environmental crises and gun violence.

French announcement below

We’re excited to invite you to an upcoming trinational webinar on cross-border solidarity in the face of rigged trade. As governments and corporations across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada collude to write new rules for the global economy that continue to prioritize corporate profits over workers and the environment, communities across North America are coming together in solidarity to launch a campaign of Cross-Border Days of Solidarity Against Trump’s Rigged Trade Agenda.

The Hamilton meeting saw a number of speakers talking about the basics of trade deals, how Trump’s tariffs are affecting the city and how the Carney governments cuts are affecting workers in the federal public service. Speakers included John Catto, Guio Jacinto and Frank Crowder of the United Steelworkers, Deanna Allain of Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Trade Justice Network Coordinator Gerard Di Trolio.

There was also time for the audience to discuss how tariffs and budget cuts are affecting them as well as what they would like to see the government do to protect workers and communities, as well as what the idea of trade justice means to them.

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) released the short document What We Heard – 2025 Public Consultations on the CUSMA Review on February 6th. GAC noted that:

The Government of Canada received a significant volume of input from a diverse mix of individuals, businesses, industry associations, provinces and territories, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from regions across Canada. In total, we received 5,143 submissions. Contributions were received from 184 businesses, 238 industry associations, councils, and labour unions, 4670 individuals, 10 provinces and territories, 8 public sector organizations, 26 Civil Society, NGOs, and public policy groups, and 7 Indigenous groups.

In Hamilton, ArcelorMittal announced in June that it was closing its wire-drawing mill, impacting 153 workers, members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5328. In May, 40 workers at Bull Moose Tube in Burlington from USW local 14162, also saw their plant shut down due to the saturation of imports in the Canadian steel market and the effects of the tariffs. Meanwhile, dozens of factories across southern Ontario in the auto parts sector have imposed layoffs, and the Detroit Three auto makers have cut shifts at some assembly plants. Workers at the Windsor-based Titan Tool and Die who are members of Unifor Local 195, tried to block the company from moving manufacturing equipment to its factories in the US. Since August, they have been locked out by their employer.