Statement by Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress
OTTAWA –– Canada’s unions are gathering this week at our Canadian Council to strategize at a time when the escalating trade war is having a devastating impact on Canadian workers and communities.
Across the country, people are losing jobs and struggling to make ends meet.
“The reality facing workers right now is grim,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “In the last quarter alone, Canada lost 66,000 jobs. Growth has dropped every month for two straight quarters. The trade war continues, with no end in sight. Concessions we’ve made to appease Donald Trump haven’t worked. Just look at what happened last Friday, we got hit with new U.S. tariffs on buses and trucks. Working people are still trapped in an affordability and housing crisis that just won’t quit. Families are stretched to the limit and so are our public services and healthcare.”
Trump’s reckless tariff escalation is pulling investment and production out of Canada and into the United States, undermining decades of partnership and cooperation. His aggressive trade tactics are threatening jobs in key sectors like auto, steel, aluminum, lumber, and manufacturing — and Canadian workers are paying the price.
Inflation has climbed again, reaching 2.4% in September, with grocery prices up 4%. Families are being squeezed harder than ever; paying more for food, housing, and gas while watching good jobs vanish from their communities.
Canada’s unions are calling for an all-hands-on-deck approach to protect Canadian jobs, strengthen our economy, and support families through this crisis. That means:
- Focusing on jobs and affordability: Invest in public projects and build more housing to create good, stable jobs and ease the cost-of-living crisis;
- Fixing Employment Insurance: Modernize EI and ensure workers impacted by the trade war aren’t left behind;
- Protecting public services: Now is not the time for cuts. With more Canadians depending on healthcare, education, and community supports, we must not reduce services — and we must not add to the jobless; and
- Standing up to Trump: Match U.S. tariffs with strong, targeted retaliatory measures, including a 50% tariff on U.S. steel and aluminum, to defend Canadian industries and show that we will not be bullied.
“Canada’s unions remain ready to work with the government and Parliament to get Canada through this crisis,” Bruske added. “Workers power our economy, and together, we can rebuild it stronger, fairer, and more resilient.”
It’s time to protect Canadian jobs, defend our industries, and put workers first.