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Canada’s Building Trades Unions is calling on the federal government to extend the current temporary relief measures related to unfair U.S. tariffs on various manufacturing industries including steel, aluminum, and automotive products through spring 2027, or until a fair agreement is reached between Canada and the United States.
The impact of this trade war isn’t being felt in the boardrooms; it’s being felt at kitchen tables. Tariffs are disrupting supply chains, putting good-paying middle class jobs at risk, and driving uncertainty for tradespeople and their families. Workers are bearing the consequences of decisions being made far from the jobsite, and they need governments to intervene to provide them with adequate support.
“Workers should not be asked to front the cost of political and trade uncertainty beyond their control,” said Sean Strickland, Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions. “The effects of these tariffs reach far beyond the jobsite. Extending these temporary relief measures through spring 2027, or until an agreement is reached, is necessary to provide workers, employers, and communities with the certainty they need.”
These temporary employment insurance measures for workers affected by tariffs include waiving the one-week waiting period so claimants can receive benefits immediately; suspending the treatment of separation pay so severance does not delay access to EI; and providing 20 additional weeks of benefits for long-tenured workers who need more time to find new employment.
While CBTU remains hopeful that Canada and the United States can reach a meaningful and lasting resolution, workers and employers need stability in the meantime. The federal government must focus on strengthening domestic supply chains, protecting Canadian jobs and ensuring that major infrastructure, industrial and energy projects move forward in a thoughtful, coordinated and expedited manner.
These projects must be planned and delivered in a way that maximizes employment opportunities for Canadian workers and makes full use of Canadian labour and expertise. This should include stronger coordination through mechanisms such as the CBTU-recommended Labour Supply Coordinating Committee. By aligning project timelines, workforce availability, training, and mobility, the Committee can help ensure that Canada is prepared to deliver the projects it needs while prioritizing Canadian tradespeople who have been sidelined by the impact of tariffs. This approach will help Canada build stronger domestic capacity, support workers and communities, and strengthen our economic resilience and national sovereignty.
Until a long-term agreement is reached, Canada’s Building Trades Unions urges the federal government to extend the temporary relief measures and use every available tool to support Canadian workers, manufacturers and the skilled-trades workforce that builds, maintains and sustains Canada’s industrial economy.
