Toronto, Ontario — Lana Payne, national president of Unifor, is calling on the government to refuse to accept any tariffs on automobiles or auto parts from the U.S.
In a recent interview in the Globe and Mail, the union leader said if U.S. governments tariffs continue, Canada’s automotive sector will become vulnerable. She added that it would also lead to decreasing investment in the Canadian economy writ large.
This isn’t the first time Unifor, which represents more than 40,000 Canadian automotive sector workers has raised the alarm about the damage being wrought by the tariffs.
“Trump has made it clear that he wants to take our auto jobs and our plants – he can’t have them,” Payne, according to a press release in April. “Canada didn’t take U.S. jobs, and we’re not going to let him take ours. We’ve been building cars in Canada for over a century and we’re not stopping now.”
According to the union, which has 320,000 members spanning the manufacturing, transportation, forestry, energy, media and automotive sectors, Trump’s statements suggest he could reintroduce tariffs of up to 25 percent on vehicles imported to the U.S., including those assembled in Canada. He has also hinted that auto parts could face similar trade penalties. The move is part of his broader campaign stance on reshaping international trade to favour American-made goods.
“Trump thinks he can move auto plants and dismantle an entire supply chain system overnight. He can’t,” said Payne, in the release. “These tariffs are not just dangerous, they are destructive. If sustained, they will decimate auto jobs across North America and drive costs to an unsustainable level.”
The union also says these proposed tariffs could directly impact Canada’s integrated auto supply chain. Canadian-made vehicles and parts are regularly shipped to U.S. markets, while components and technology also flow north into Canadian shops. Any trade restrictions could slow that process, making it harder — and more expensive — for collision repairers to access parts or service vehicles built outside the country.
The union also urged the Canadian government to take a firm stance in defending cross-border trade.
“Unifor is calling on the Canadian government to take strong and immediate action to protect Canadian auto workers and to stand up against Trump’s aggressive and economically dangerous agenda with strategic retaliation,” the organization announced in the statement.
“Unifor has committed to defend Canadian auto industry jobs and investments by whatever means necessary and is urging the next federal government to forge a comprehensive industrial strategy for the sector and ensure automakers maintain their production footprint in Canada, or face reprisal.”
