Unifor: "Fighting to Save Five Canadian Mills from Trump"

Unifor, Toronto, Ont., Canada, a union representing forestry, pulp and paper, and other industry workers in Canada, this week published a video with interviews of Canadians directly impacted by the new U.S. tariffs levied against paper mills in Newfoundland & Labrador, Québec, and British Columbia.

"Right now, Donald Trump is poised to do irreversible damage to five small communities across Canada," said Jerry Dias, Unifor national president. "The Canadian government needs to act, and it needs to act now to protect local economies and good jobs." 

Unifor says the Trump administration’s combined 28% - 32% "anti-dumping" tariffs on products produced by Kruger Inc. in Newfoundland and Québec and Catalyst Paper in British Columbia will force the mills out of business. Communities immediately impacted include Corner Brook N.L., Trois Rivières, Que., Crofton B.C., Powell River B.C., and Port Alberni B.C.

The video, launched as part of the union's campaign, speaks with mill workers on both coasts about how the union believes U.S. tariffs designed to undermine Canadian mills to benefit American competitors will affect their lives.

"The mill will close. If somebody doesn't do something, not in August, not in September, if somebody doesn't start speaking up now, we're done," said Donna V., mill security, Corner Brook.

"These tariffs are not only going to shut down these mills, but they are also going to shut down these communities," added Brett V., instrument mechanic, Powell River.

"My job would be over and I'd have to go somewhere else. I'd have to pack up and move and hope for the best," noted Shannon P., electrical & instrumentation technician, Corner Brook.

"There's 1,500 jobs on the line with a stroke of a pen from the United States Government," Eldon H., paper machine operator, Powell River, emphasized.

Unifor is calling on the federal government to take immediate action to stop what it says are unfair duties and support the communities affected by "Donald Trump's bully tactics." For more information on the union's campaign and the tariffs, visit the Unifor web site. 

 

Unifor is Canada's largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy.