OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 3, 2025 /CNW/ - As the federal government prepares to table Budget 2025, Unifor is reiterating the critical need for government priorities to reflect a comprehensive, forward-looking industrial strategy. Unifor says that bold government action is imperative to safeguard Canadian jobs, build economic resilience, and defend Canada against aggressive U.S. trade threats.

"This budget must be a strategic blueprint for a stronger, more resilient Canadian economy," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "We are facing an existential threat to our industrial base. The government must be ready to deploy every tool at its disposal, from strong domestic procurement to strategic public investment, to ensure the economic well-being of Canadian workers and industries."

In August 2025, Unifor released its pre-budget submission, outlining how to build an economic plan and industrial strategy for workers. The union presented five immediate strategies to reduce Canada's over-reliance on the U.S., defend Canada's national interest, respond to ongoing threats levied by President Trump, and pursue a strategy of good, union job growth. The strategies include:

• Penalize companies that move jobs to the U.S.: Extend Canada's existing retaliatory import tariffs, designed to deter automakers from relocating domestic production to the U.S., to all industrial sectors. Government must utilize and strengthen the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (FEMA) to levy penalties on firms that moves jobs or operations from Canada because of U.S. tariff policies through strict fines and a prohibition on imports.
• Support forestry with a Made-in-Canada affordable home strategy: Government must deliver on its commitment to connect Canadian forest products with an enhanced national homebuilding strategy.
• Fortify East-West energy linkages: Expand Canada's capacity for west-east shipment of Canadian oil, gas, and chemical products by rail and build Canadian-made tanker cars.
• Ensure defence spending that supports Canadian industries: Revamp defence procurement processes that empower Canadian companies to build the equipment Canada needs to defend its sovereignty.
• Restrict foreign ownership of critical minerals: Implement measures to restrict foreign ownership or control, direct public investment in value-added processing and manufacturing, and allocate resources to build national reserves of strategic critical minerals.

In the lead up to Budget 2025, Unifor's top priority remains a unified approach to combatting trade aggression that is deliberately targeting key sectors including auto, forestry, steel, and aluminum.  The union continues to warn the federal government against piecemeal, sector-by-sector negotiations that could surrender critical leverage. Unifor expects the budget to follow through on demands to penalize companies that attempt to move jobs to the U.S., holding them to account for betraying Canadian workers and communities.

"The trade war is here, and Canada cannot allow the U.S. to pit workers against workers or sectors against sectors," added Payne. "Canada must leverage what we're good at – our resources, our talent, and our advanced manufacturing – to build a self-sufficient economy. That's the kind of transformational vision we expect from this budget."

At Unifor's Constitutional Convention, delegates unanimously endorsed Charting a New Path for Canada's Economy. The plan calls on governments to formalize ambitious industrial strategies across sectors, involving workers as stakeholders. It demands Canada pursue only 'fair trade' agreements to diversify exports and enable Canadian ownership and democratic management of our critical national industries and resources.

As Canada's economy faces the existential threat posed by U.S. tariffs, Unifor also cautions against austerity measures that undermine the public services workers rely on. The budget must maintain core investments that function as economic stabilizers for working families. This includes fixing Employment Insurance and protecting core social programs like universal pharmacare, affordable childcare and housing, and long-term care.

"Austerity is a crisis waiting to happen," said Payne. "Strategic investment in public services is a vital economic lever that keeps people and our economy afloat in turbulent times."

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