TORONTO – The international presidents of the United Steelworkers union (USW) and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) are standing in solidarity with their Canadian members, workers and communities by demanding that the Trump administration reconsider its tariffs on Canadian goods.
In a joint letter to United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, USW International President Roxanne Brown and International Association of Machinists (IAM) International President Brian Bryant are urging the administration to preserve the close and deeply integrated manufacturing relationship between Canada and the United States.
“Steelworkers in Canada welcome the solidarity of our union members and leadership across North America,” said USW National Director for Canada Marty Warren. “This demonstrates the power, solidarity and reach of international unions. When workers are threatened in one country, our union stands together across borders.”
“From day one of this trade war, our international union has been clear: Canada is not the problem and targeting Canadian workers, industries and communities is not a legitimate response to unfair trade. In both countries, our union supports strong, targeted trade enforcement against dumping and global overcapacity. Canada and the United States should work together to confront those challenges rather than Trump bullying Canadian workers and companies,” Warren said.
As international unions, the USW and IAM represent workers in both Canada and the United States. Together, they are calling on the two countries to confront unfair global trade practices, strengthen North American industrial capacity and protect workers throughout their integrated supply chains. They know that tariffs on Canadian goods will disrupt deeply integrated supply chains and put good jobs and communities at risk on both sides of the border.
Read the full text of the letter here.
About the United Steelworkers union
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
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