UFCW Canada National President Shawn Haggerty with Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour at the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit on February 7, 2025

Toronto – February 7, 2025 – UFCW Canada joined with key Canadian partners at the Canada-U.S. Economic Summit urging for cross-country approach to the threat of U.S. tariffs.

The Canada-U.S. Economic Summit was held in Toronto on February 7, 2025, bringing together Canadian leaders in organized labour, trade, business, and public policy. It was designed to increase coordination and cooperation between all partners, including through issue and sector-specific conversations.  

“The Canada-U.S. Economic Summit is Team Canada at its best,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement announcing the summit. “We are bringing together partners across business, civil society, and organized labour to find ways to galvanize our economy, create more jobs and bigger paycheques, make it easier to build and trade within our borders, and diversify export markets.”

UFCW Canada is urging the federal and provincial governments to take action to protect Canadian food workers’ jobs. 

“In the face of an escalating trade war, our key priority is to protect our members,” says UFCW Canada National President Shawn Haggerty. “Any solution needs to protect Canadian jobs while also ensuring that the affordability crisis does not become even worse.”

UFCW Canada is also concerned for our thousands of UFCW members in supply-managed sectors like poultry and dairy, who face growing threats from these trade disruptions. These are vital sectors with jobs in communities that rely on them to thrive, often in rural communities where they are the largest employers.

Now, more than ever, is the time to shop for food products made in Canada by union workers: check out our list of food products made by UFCW members on our Great Canadian Food Products page.