Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, has laid out its priorities for the upcoming 2026 review of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA).
This announcement was made by Unifor National President Lana Payne during her testimony to the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade on May 30.
In her testimony, Payne emphasized the need for Canada to take a proactive stance in the review process.
“U.S. officials aren’t mincing words when they tell us not to get ‘too comfortable’ ahead of these talks,” she warned. Payne highlighted the long-standing issues such as U.S. complaints on Canada’s supply-managed dairy and digital trade, as well as the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) consultations on CUSMA auto trade. “Canada cannot approach this review on its back foot,” she stated.
Softwood lumber, aluminum, light duty vehicles among top concerns
Among the top concerns for Unifor are the enduring softwood lumber dispute, monitoring aluminum imports, and the necessity for the U.S. to raise its World Trade Organization (WTO) tariff on light-duty vehicles.
Payne also stressed the importance of addressing the threat posed by Chinese electric vehicle (EV) imports, which she claimed are subsidized through forced labor, excessive subsidies, and technology theft.
Payne advocated for the expansion of CUSMA’s Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), which the union said has been instrumental in addressing labor issues in Mexico, to include workplaces in Canada and the U.S.
She cited recent incidents at a Mercedes plant in Vance, Alabama, where workers faced threats and intimidation during an organizing drive, drawing parallels to rights violations observed in Mexico.
“These allegations are contrary to a progressive, worker-oriented, fair-trade agenda,” she said.
Unifor also called for an increase in labor value content rules and an update to the list of core auto parts to reflect new EV technologies. These changes are deemed necessary to align CUSMA with market developments since its implementation in 2020.
Unifor represents 320,000 workers across various sectors of the Canadian economy.