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Canada’s Building Trades Unions welcomes today’s announcement from Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Finance, accompanied by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Economic Development for Quebec Regions, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario and the Honourable Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, temporarily extending the EI measures related to unfair U.S. tariffs on various manufacturing industries including steel, aluminum, and automotive products. Today’s announcement also makes amendments to the work-sharing program to make it easier to access and open to more people.
These temporary relief measures for workers affected by tariffs include;
- an additional $2 billion investment through the new Canada Strong Diversification Fund, to support tariff-affected businesses with shovel-ready projects that support ongoing capital maintenance. This new initiative will work closely with Regional Development Agency programming for project intake and triage.
- a new suite of $3.5 billion Rapid Response Supports for Workers and Employers to help Canadians affected by tariffs. This will help workers access income support when they need it through extended and additional EI temporary flexibilities; and support their transition into new opportunities through new investments in training delivered in the workplace. This will also help employers keep their workforce through a difficult period with the help of the new Worker Retention and Retraining Program (WRRP).
- broadened access to the Business Development Bank of Canada’s tariff related programs by lowering the minimum revenue requirement for applicants to $1 million.
While these measures are a positive step to securing and reinforcing Canada’s unionized skilled workforce, increased delays in negotiations and increased tariffs only reinforce the need to 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.
View the official statement from the Department of Finance here: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/canada-announces-targeted-countermeasures-and-substantive-support-for-workers-and-businesses-in-response-to-us-tariffs.html
