‘This is not an industry that is Donald Trump’s to steal’: Autoworkers hit back against tariff threats

Chevrolet Silverados sit on the general assembly line at the GM plant in Oshawa, Ont., on Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Ontario auto plants are on the front lines of Donald Trump’s trade war, where workers clock in each day for jobs they worry won’t exist in the near future.

“I am very concerned about that,” said one worker, who declined to give his name. “I think there should be a lot more concern. Not just (from) Canadians but Americans, as well.”

The executive order that U.S. President Donald Trump signed on Wednesday would place 25 per cent tariffs on cars and light trucks not made in the U.S. as early as next week, though Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has received some assurances the amount may be less for Canadian-made vehicles that contain American parts.

The premier’s office has said that vehicles made up of at least 50 per cent U.S. parts will not be subject to the tariffs. All other vehicles will face a reduced tariff of 12.5 per cent on the non-U.S. made components of those vehicles.

Regardless, industry groups say the North American auto industry is too interconnected to withstand the increase.

“The profit margins for everybody in this business is six or seven per cent,” says Flavio Volpe, who is with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association. “We could be talking about 12 or 25 or 50 or 1,000 per cent. The fact is it will grind the industry to a halt on both sides of the border within a week of implementation.”

Today Unifor, the union that represents 3,000 workers at the Oshawa GM plant, held an emergency meeting to discuss the tariffs and form a united response. Workers were given T-shirts emblazoned with “Elbows Up,” which has become a rallying cry for Canadians opposed to Trump’s threats of tariffs and annexation.

“This is not an industry that is Donald Trump’s to steal,” said Lana Payne, Unifor’s national president. “These are our jobs. These are our plants. These are our communities and this is our country, and we are fighting for all of it.”

Payne also appealed directly to politicians, urging them to not only protect Canadian workers but “punish” companies that bow to Trump and move facilities to the United States.

It’s a sentiment echoed by Unifor Local 222 president Jeff Gray.

“These are our jobs. We fought for these jobs for the last 90 years here in Oshawa. We fought for them through collective bargaining, and we paid financial and emotional prices,” he said. “These jobs aren’t going anywhere.”

U.S. President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs on trading partners are set to take effect on April 2, a day he has proclaimed as “Liberation Day” for American trade. CTV News will have extensive coverage across all platforms:

• CTVNews.ca will have in-depth coverage, real-time updates, and expert analysis on what the tariffs will mean for Canadians.
• CP24.com will report on any developments out of Queen’s Park and what the tariffs means for the people of the GTHA.
• BNNBloomberg.ca will explain what this means for the business community, investors, and the market.