Tariffs & Trade Wars: What it means for workers & communities

March 15, 2025

A big thanks to you and everyone who joined us at the pan-Canadian Emergency Town Hall this week. We talked about a workers-first agenda to protect our communities from the impact of US tariffs. Check out our Tariff Emergency page for a video of the meeting, the presentation slides and a link to send an email to your elected representatives. Scroll down for a brief summary of the discussion and accompanying links.

 

A workers-first emergency response

During the pandemic, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and temporary improvements to the Employment Insurance program provided real income support for workers who needed it. Although too many people fell through the cracks, these measures were crucial in decreasing poverty rates and helping many small businesses stay afloat. This prevented an even worse economic outcome from the pandemic. 

Unfortunately, profitable corporations took advantage of the public money offered through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program and used it to issue dividends to shareholders. Meanwhile, grocery store monopolies like Loblaws and Metro, and other corporate profiteers, dramatically increased the price of food and other staples, to make even more profit during the COVID crisis. 

What lessons can we take from the pandemic? And how can we apply them to this new economic crisis brought by US tariffs and trade wars? We talked about these issues with Deena Ladd, Executive Director of the Workers’ Action Centre, and Katherine Scott, Senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. 

How will Trump's tariffs affect workers & communities?

  • US tariffs will make Canadian goods more expensive and less attractive to US businesses and customers.

  • As a result of lower demand, Canadian companies will be forced to cut costs by reducing hours, closing stores, and laying off workers.

  • These tariffs will initially impact Canada’s resource and manufacturing sectors that depend on exports to the US (such as oil and gas, metals, vehicles, and food).

  • The secondary impact will be on sectors that support these export driven industries such as in finance, transportation and professional services.

  • But in the end, all sectors in Canada will be affected due to workers losing their jobs and having to cut their spending.

  • Women, migrant workers and racialized workers make up a large portion of many of the sectors that will be impacted.

Canada's current response does not go far enough

So far, the federal government has said they are not going to implement broad supports for workers and communities. Instead, they are offering:

  • Billions of dollars in financing and loans for corporations in a select few industries.

  • Minor tweaks to the Employment Insurance program for work-sharing.

  • Allocating $1.3 billion into “border security” when migrants are not the cause of our crisis.

Leave No One Behind 

Although CERB was crucial during the pandemic far too many people fell through the cracks. We need income support to reach everyone. We also need additional measures to stop corporations–and the billionaires that run them–from taking advantage of this crisis. We must also demand they pay their fair share of taxes.

Here's what we are calling for:

  • $600 in weekly income support for all and permanent improvements to Employment Insurance to make it accessible and adequate. 

  • Stop increases in the cost of rent, the price of food, and interest rates. 

  • Increased investments in high quality public services like childcare, education, healthcare and transit.

  • Ensure profitable corporations and the 1% pay their fair share of taxes.

  • The full No One Left Behind agenda is available here.


YOU can fight for a workers-first agenda

  1. Send an email to your elected representatives (and then get another friend or co-worker to do the same).

  2. Hand out flyers at upcoming federal election debates, union meetings, or community events. 

  3. Ask your community group or union local to endorse these demands.

  4. Follow Justice for Workers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates and organizing tools.

  5. RSVP to the next Justice for Workers online organizing meeting on March 25.

  6. Bookmark and visit the Tariff Emergency resource page for posters, pledge sheets, and sample resolutions as they become available. 

Additional links shared in the discussion:

Organizational links:

Videos & social media:

Supplemental news articles:

Upcoming events:

If we want to win this fight to protect our communities, we need to stay united. Whether you’re a migrant worker, unionized worker, gig-worker, restaurant worker, or manufacturing worker, we cannot afford to be divided.

Remember: The real cause of workers' problems are the CEO’s and the politicians in their pockets.