Trade War: Teamsters Canada Demands Workers Be the First to Benefit from Aid Measures

Source: Teamsters Canada

Teamsters Canada is calling on the federal government to ensure that workers affected by the Trump administration’s tariffs on steel and aluminum receive adequate financial support. Ottawa is reportedly considering a “pandemic-level” emergency aid package to mitigate the economic impact of this trade war.

Rather than providing unrestricted funds to businesses, the union is urging the government to tie financial assistance to job retention. According to Teamsters Canada, companies should only receive aid if they commit to avoiding layoffs.

The union also calls for a cap on executive and shareholder compensation for businesses that accept federal aid.

“It is clear that trade wars harm both businesses and workers. But too often, aid given to businesses does not trickle down to the workers,” said François Laporte, President of Teamsters Canada. “We need solutions that allow people to keep working, not subsidies that vanish into executive bonuses and shareholder payouts. Linking aid directly to job retention ensures that support reaches those who need it most while keeping businesses afloat.”

Teamsters Canada represents thousands of workers who could be impacted by tariffs on steel and aluminum, including those in steel manufacturing and related sectors such as transportation and recycling.

The union warns that tariffs will affect Canadian jobs while significantly increasing costs for American consumers. It also points out that U.S. steel and aluminum production has already reached maximum capacity and that building new factories would take years and cost billions.

“There will be no winners, no matter which side of the border you’re on,” Laporte added.

In British Columbia, Teamsters Local 213 represents about 200 workers at Tree Island Steel, a unionized company that has provided stable, well-paying jobs for decades.

“I started my career on the shop floor at Tree Island Steel. Unionized businesses like these give working families a real chance to thrive,” said Tony Santavenere, President of Teamsters Local 213. “You can get hired in your twenties, build a career, raise a family, and retire with dignity. The trade war won’t last forever, but we can’t abandon workers while billions flow into corporate pockets.”