Walking Away from a Bad Deal Was the Right Choice. Now Canada Must Protect Workers – Canadian Labour Congress

WINNIPEG — Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress, issued the following statement after Canada-U.S. trade negotiations broke down Friday night:
“Walking away from a bad deal was the right choice for Canada. We support the Prime Minister and Canada’s negotiating team in this crucial decision.
“Donald Trump has once again chosen economic intimidation over fair trade, imposing 50 percent tariffs on billions of dollars of Canadian goods. Canada cannot bargain away our jobs, industries or economic sovereignty simply to satisfy an American president who keeps changing the terms of the deal.
“The road ahead will be tough. Workers and communities are already paying the price for Trump’s trade war, and these new tariffs will put even more Canadian jobs at risk.
“But we are all in this together. Canada must stand firm, use our leverage to force Trump to back down, and make protecting workers and communities our number-one priority.
“Matching Trump’s new tariffs dollar-for-dollar is an important first step that labour supports. But Canada must be prepared to do more. We have leverage in energy, critical minerals, lumber, potash and other resources the United States depends on. We should be prepared to use it.
“At the same time, standing up to Trump means standing up for the workers who will bear the brunt of this fight. No worker should lose their home or struggle to put food on the table because Donald Trump decided to start a trade war.
“The federal government must immediately put in place a comprehensive plan to protect Canadian workers, jobs and industries.”
Canada’s unions are calling on the federal government to:
“Workers did not start this trade war, and they cannot be left to pay for it.
“Canada has the resources, the skills and the workers to withstand this fight. What we need now is the determination to use them.
“This is the moment to stand together, governments, workers, unions, businesses and communities, to defend Canadian jobs and build a stronger, more independent Canadian economy.
“Trump is betting that Canada will buckle under pressure. We will prove him wrong.”
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