Lana Payne to advocate to protect jobs as member of federal Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations
TORONTO, April 21, 2026 /CNW/ – Unifor National President Lana Payne will advocate for bold federal action to protect Canadian jobs, rebuild domestic capacity, and put workers at the centre of Canada’s industrial strategy as a member of the new federal Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations.
“This is a consequential time for our country. More than a year into Trump’s trade war, Canadian workers are paying the price for U.S. tariffs and trade aggression. We will need assertive strategies to sustain and grow our country’s industrial base and the jobs it supports,” said Payne. “We obviously need a trade agreement with the United States that protects key sectors of our economy while making sure workers and their jobs are front and centre in those negotiations.”
Payne is honoured to serve the interests of workers during this challenging period for them and for our country.
Unifor outlined a three-way strategy during the union’s recent federal lobby week, when members and leadership met with MPs across party lines.
Buy Canadian – Sell Here, Build Here
If companies want to sell in Canada, they must build here. We must invest Canadian procurement dollars into Canadian jobs. We are an industrial economy and that means defending and supporting a strong manufacturing base.
Worker–Centred Industrial Strategies
Canada needs worker–centred industrial strategies, with workers, employers and government at the table, focused on job quality and retention, worker-led retraining, whole–of–supply–chain planning, and sustained public investment to plug strategic gaps.
Promote Good, Union Jobs
Unionized work is good work. Public funding should not bankroll employers who block union rights and government must defend free collective bargaining and the right to strike in federally regulated sectors.
Read Unifor’s calls to the federal government here.
Visit protectjobs.ca for the latest on U.S. tariffs and how workers and communities can take action to support Canadian jobs and industry.
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor
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