As a tough year wraps, Unifor’s Lana Payne prepares for more challenges ahead

Article contentTORONTO — The head of Canada’s largest private-sector union says she’s glad to be putting this year behind her, but next year will present a whole new set of daunting challenges.Sign In or Create an AccountEmail AddressContinueor View more offersArticle contentUnifor national president Lana Payne said in an interview Friday that tariffs imposed by the United States this year have meant a lot of hardship for union members, while uncertainty over trade will loom over contract talks set for next yearArticle contentWe apologize, but this video has failed to load.Try refreshing your browser, ortap here to see other videos from our team.Article content“We’re going into bargaining in a year with a lot of uncertainty, a lot of chaos,” said Payne in an interview.Article contentArticle content“So it’s going to be a very, very challenging year on that front.”Article contentTop StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.There was an error, please provide a valid email address.Sign UpBy signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. 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Browse here.Article contentContract talks will cover about 95,000 Unifor workers next year, almost a third of total members, including workers at the Detroit Three automakers.Article contentNegotiators will have to contend with the risks of losing production and jobs to the U.S., as the Trump administration uses tariffs to try and bring more industrial jobs back into the country.Article contentSectors including automotive, forestry and metal production have been especially hit with steep tariffs, even as most other goods are still flowing freely into the U.S., leading to an uneven picture on how the economy fared this year, Payne said.Article content“While the macro numbers might look a certain way, I would say beneath the surface of those numbers are some very, very serious problems,” she said.Article content“We still had many thousands of workers in auto and forestry, and in general manufacturing, who’ve been impacted in a severe way. They’ve faced either layoff notices, we’ve had shifts that have been reduced in plants, we’ve had plants that have been idled and we have plants that have closed.”Article contentArticle contentThe forestry sector has seen several mill closures and curtailments as it faces 45 per cent tariffs on exports to the U.S., while Algoma Steel Inc. announced layoffs of about 1,000 workers represented by the United Steelworkers as it accelerated a planned production transition because of 50 per cent tariffs on products heading south.Article contentThe automotive sector, which is facing varying degrees of tariffs, this year saw Stellantis announce it was moving production planned for its Brampton, Ont., plant to the U.S. GM also announced it was cutting the third shift at its Oshawa plant and the end of production for an electric delivery vehicle at its plant in Ingersoll, Ont.Article contentBesides the high profile moves, there are also numerous smaller manufacturers that have been forced to make adjustments because of tariffs.Article content“It’s been a hard year for working people,” said Payne.Article contentAdding to the challenges has been moves by government, at both the provincial and federal level, to erode the power of labour, she said.Article contentAlberta’s use of the notwithstanding clause to end a teacher strike, Quebec’s Bill 3 that she said is designed to weaken unions, and the federal government’s use of Section 107 to force workers back to the job all come as unions try to fight for jobs, Payne said.Trending Opinion: The no-more-pipelines MOU FP Comment Posthaste: 2026 might prove perilous for Canadians who piled into variable mortgages this year, Desjardins warns News When sinking property values raise red flags for borrowers Mortgages Tax Court overturns CRA decision to deny bitcoin loss writeoff Taxes Philip Cross: The sad story of Justin Trudeau’s 'youthful idiots' FP Comment Article content“I think it is disgusting that governments choose this moment, this moment particularly, to try and weaken unions, when unions are the voices for working people at a time when working people need voices more than ever.”Article contentBut despite the challenges, she says she still has faith that the big challenges can be tackled through collective action.Article content“I’ve seen it all this year, the way people have come together, to support each other,” said Payne.Article content“Often when the chips are down and we’re, we’re in the biggest of crises, it’s when working people come together.”Article contentThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 19, 2025.Article contentShare this article in your social networkCommentsYou must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.Create an AccountSign in Join the Conversation Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information. Opinion: The no-more-pipelines MOU FP Comment Posthaste: 2026 might prove perilous for Canadians who piled into variable mortgages this year, Desjardins warns News When sinking property values raise red flags for borrowers Mortgages Tax Court overturns CRA decision to deny bitcoin loss writeoff Taxes Philip Cross: The sad story of Justin Trudeau’s 'youthful idiots' FP Comment