Steelworkers meet with prime minister, press for stronger action to protect workers

TORONTO, Sept. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — United Steelworkers union (USW) National Director Marty Warren welcomed the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney today to discuss Canada-U.S. trade and measures to protect Canadian workers, jobs and industrial capacity.

Warren joined the prime minister and ministers with other labour representatives. He raised the challenges facing workers and communities affected by U.S. tariffs and the need for a long-term strategy to strengthen Canada’s economy.

“We appreciate the opportunity to speak directly with Prime Minister Carney about what workers are experiencing and what they need from their government,” said Warren. “Canada was right to hold the line rather than accept a bad deal and right to respond to these unjustified tariffs with counter-tariffs. But workers did not start this trade war and should not pay the price. With new counter-tariffs taking effect September 8, keeping workers working and ensuring those affected have the supports they need must be the priority.”

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Warren called for stronger worker supports, including permanent improvements to Employment Insurance and an emergency program to keep people connected to their jobs. He also emphasized that support for tariff-affected industries must protect jobs and Canadian production, not subsidize companies while they cut jobs or shift work elsewhere.

The USW also called for enhanced Buy Canadian requirements, greater enforcement against unfairly traded and dumped goods, a comprehensive industrial strategy and greater trade diversification to strengthen Canadian production and reduce reliance on the U.S. market.

“Based on what we were hearing, the deal on the table could have left Canadian workers and key industries worse off. No deal is better than a bad deal,” Warren said. “Whatever happens at the negotiating table, Canada cannot go back to business as usual. We need to make more things here, use Canadian materials in Canadian projects and ensure public dollars support Canadian jobs and communities. That means strengthening our industrial capacity, diversifying our trade relationships and making Canada more economically resilient.”

The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of the union’s strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.

For more information, please contact: Jamey Heath, USW Communications, [email protected] , 416 997-7209