Defending Canadian and American workers amid an economic and political crisis

This opinion column by USW International Secretary-Treasurer Myles Sullivan also was published in the March 28, 2025, edition of The Hamilton Spectator. (subscription required)

By Myles Sullivan
USW International Secretary-Treasurer

Over many years, on multiple occasions, the United Steelworkers (USW) has demonstrated the vital role that a strong, progressive, international union can play in helping to resolve ill-advised cross-border trade and political disputes.

USW leaders and rank-and-file activists have embraced this role, to defend the interests not only of our 1.2 million members and retirees across Canada and the U.S., but those of all workers in our two countries.

Our union is more committed than ever to this cross-border solidarity, as the Trump Administration appears intent on waging a senseless and unprecedented tariff war against the U.S.’s closest ally.

This misguided policy has already produced economic unpredictability and chaos, and it threatens to unleash devastating consequences for both Canadian and American workers, families and their communities.

The Steelworkers’ international leadership has called out Trump’s reckless trade actions and their potential destruction of jobs, industries and economic growth on both sides of the border – views shared by 82% of Americans who consider Canada to be an ally. As we have done with success in past trade disputes, the USW is taking a binational approach to respond to this crisis.

In Canada, our union stands in solidarity with our labour, civil society and political allies to demand that our governments take decisive action to support workers and industries affected by Trump’s tariffs. The federal government in particular must commit to significantly improve supports for workers who are at risk to be laid off due to tariffs, including wage subsidies and a more flexible, enhanced Employment Insurance program.

In the U.S., our international leadership is intensifying our political activism on trade issues – a space in which the USW is well-respected and has a track record of working effectively with lawmakers from both parties, including during the first Trump Administration.

In 2018-19, our union lobbied hard in Washington to secure exemptions for Canada from Section 232 tariffs that were imposed on Canadian steel and aluminum exports.

Steelworkers directly engaged the Trump Administration and used our considerable influence to insist that such trade actions should target cheaters rather than trusted allies. We succeeded in helping reach a deal that eliminated the U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, as well as retaliatory tariffs on American products that were levied by Canada.

The USW also was instrumental in pushing for the Rapid Response Mechanism that was included in the renegotiated United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which has improved working conditions for tens of thousands of workers in Mexico and helped to level the playing field for workers across North America.

Steelworkers also continue to advocate for stronger rules of origin to help prioritize North American content across the auto industry to defend jobs in Canada and the U.S.

The USW is a prominent member of the largest labour federations in Canada and the U.S. – the Canadian Labour Congress and the AFL-CIO. Combined, the two federations represent more than 18 million workers. Our union also enjoys strong, longstanding relationships with civil society groups in both countries. Working closely with our many allies, we are determined to defend the interests of workers, communities and industries on both sides of the border.

Over the years, few groups have made the case as forcefully as the United Steelworkers to improve the trade relationship between our two countries so that it advances workers’ rights, improves living standards and ensures workers are not pitted against each other.

We will continue this work, by fighting to put an end to these misdirected and dangerous tariffs and help save a historic and important cross-border relationship.

– Myles Sullivan has been a United Steelworkers member since 1995, when he began working for mining giant Falconbridge Ltd. in Sudbury, Ont. He rose through the union’s leadership ranks and joined its International Executive Board in 2021 when he was elected USW District 6 Director, representing Ontario and Atlantic Canada. On Jan. 1 of this year, he took office as USW International Secretary-Treasurer, based at the union’s headquarters in Pittsburgh, Penn.

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