The Hamilton meeting saw a number of speakers talking about the basics of trade deals, how Trump’s tariffs are affecting the city and how the Carney governments cuts are affecting workers in the federal public service. Speakers included John Catto, Guio Jacinto and Frank Crowder of the United Steelworkers, Deanna Allain of Public Service Alliance of Canada, and Trade Justice Network Coordinator Gerard Di Trolio.

There was also time for the audience to discuss how tariffs and budget cuts are affecting them as well as what they would like to see the government do to protect workers and communities, as well as what the idea of trade justice means to them.

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) released the short document What We Heard – 2025 Public Consultations on the CUSMA Review on February 6th. GAC noted that:

The Government of Canada received a significant volume of input from a diverse mix of individuals, businesses, industry associations, provinces and territories, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from regions across Canada. In total, we received 5,143 submissions. Contributions were received from 184 businesses, 238 industry associations, councils, and labour unions, 4670 individuals, 10 provinces and territories, 8 public sector organizations, 26 Civil Society, NGOs, and public policy groups, and 7 Indigenous groups.

In Hamilton, ArcelorMittal announced in June that it was closing its wire-drawing mill, impacting 153 workers, members of the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5328. In May, 40 workers at Bull Moose Tube in Burlington from USW local 14162, also saw their plant shut down due to the saturation of imports in the Canadian steel market and the effects of the tariffs. Meanwhile, dozens of factories across southern Ontario in the auto parts sector have imposed layoffs, and the Detroit Three auto makers have cut shifts at some assembly plants. Workers at the Windsor-based Titan Tool and Die who are members of Unifor Local 195, tried to block the company from moving manufacturing equipment to its factories in the US. Since August, they have been locked out by their employer.

Submission to the Government of Canada Consultation on the Review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) from the Trade Justice Network

Thank you for this opportunity to provide the Trade Justice Network’s recommendations in advance of the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement. The Trade Justice Network (TJN) is a coalition of labour, environmental, and social justice organizations. Our members include the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the National Union of Public and General Employees, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, Unifor, and the United Steelworkers. In total, our coalition represents well over three million working people.

When public consultations were held last year, it was business that overwhelmingly made submissions. Here is the breakdown:

Industry/business associations (109) Provinces/Territories (8) Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), labour, and Indigenous groups (13) Academia and individuals (7)

As you can see we need more First Nations, unions and civil society to make their voices heard, especially given the challenges we face in these uncertain times.

Please take the time to make a submission through this page that will be automatically delivered the the government’s consultation email. Submissions are accepted until Monday November 3, 2025.

APEP was first announced in June 2022 by US President Biden, and its broad objectives were agreed to in January 2023 in the Joint Declaration on APEP. This meeting also agreed on APEP’s four main “pillars”:

1. regional competitiveness,
2. resilient supply chains,
3. shared prosperity, and
4. sustainable investment.

Notably, APEP has no new trade liberalization (tariff reductions and market access).

This new approach comes as governments around the world are starting to recognize what activists have said for decades: the status quo in the global economy is failing. For almost 30 years, Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) have consistently put corporate profits before workers’ wages, have put investor rights before environmental protections, and have facilitated privatization and exploitative wage and regulatory arbitrage. The result has been obscene wealth inequality, rapid climate change, and dysfunctional democracies.