Tariffs spark fear — and Trump support — among Canadian autoworkers

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Rumors, anxiety and anger are spreading on the assembly line in Ontario.

Thousands of jobs are at risk as U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline for auto tariffs is imminent, with widespread expectation of unrest on both sides of the border.

In Windsor, which is usually the first and worst hit in recession, the ghost of widespread unemployment has caused people to suffer from the downturns in the past.

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“We are shocked,” said Unifor Local 200 President John D’Agnolo, who represents about 2,000 Ford workers at Canadian Auto Capital. “We’ve seen the houses missing, we’ve seen the keys drop in the bank. We don’t want to see that again.”

Trump confirmed Wednesday that the U.S. will charge 25% tariffs on completed vehicle imports starting April 3, and then tariffs on auto parts by May 3.

It is no surprise that economic attacks are the latest trade war Trump has made for no reason against his closest trading partners.

However, it still makes shock waves through the automotive industry, where thousands of jobs depend on long-term cross-border relations.

Ontario is a major player in the North American automotive industry, with automotive plants ranging from Windsor to Oshawa, and dozens of food plants and parts manufacturers.

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According to the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturing Association, the automotive manufacturing industry accounts for 128,000 direct jobs in Canada. At least 100,000 of them are in Ontario.

Each automatic assembly job creates another 10 jobs in the supply chain.

Along with Trump, these workers face another major enemy in the tariff war.

United Auto Workers, a union representing workers in the industry, has provided support behind Trump and his tariffs.

It was a surprising reversal for the American League, which supported Democrat Kamala Harris in the last election and UAW President Shawn Fain called Trump “scab.”

“Thousands of Unifor members will face a very real family crisis of putting food on the table,” said Shinade Allder, London NDP candidate and chairman of the Unified Ontario Regional Commission.

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“Parents will have to explain to their children why they can’t play hockey or take a dance class or attend a family movie night in the theater.”

Reality has occupied it.

“I have a family. I have a wife and a son I support,” Stellantis employee Vito Taranto said Thursday outside the Windsor Parliamentary Factory.

“I just hope everything goes well and we can keep the job because these are good jobs. I don’t want to lose such a job.”

He said concerns about layoffs have spread in the factory.

“I heard that there will be layoffs and things like that,” said Taranto, 30. “I just mind my business and do my job. I really haven’t talked to too many people, but I’ve heard rumors of layoffs.”

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Daniel Ricart is also worried about the future.

“Of course, in your mind, you are,” said Riccart, who has worked at the Windsor Council Factory for nine years. “But so far, there’s nothing specific. We’re smiling every day, tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow, Trump might have something else to say, so we don’t know.”

Riccarter said that Canada’s “anti-attack” is also important for Trump.

“There are tariff wars everywhere,” he said. “He is playing war. He is a bully. Sorry, he is a bully.”

Not everyone sees this way.

Several Windsor Parliament plant employees repeatedly shouted Trump’s name through the factory gate on Thursday when federal New Democratic leader Jagmeet Singh stopped on the campaign journey.

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One woman cheered: “We support Trump, we support Trump.”

Another person pushed a finger in the crowd and waved his finger in the air. Some even shouted that Trump would save their jobs as he rushed through the door during shift changes.

They won’t talk to journalists.

But Unifor Local 444 President James Stewart, who represents about 4,500 Stellantis employees, said many of his members were scared.

“I know today they are worried about their jobs, their future, and they are worried about their children’s future,” Stewart said.

When the layoffs arrived, D’Agnolo said it would subsequently foreclose.

“With the money we make on EI today, we can’t survive,” he said. “No one can survive for that. We know the impact. That’s why you see the faces look irritated because it will destroy this community and I don’t want to see it again. Broken our hearts.”

From casinos to restaurateurs, Stewart said it should be not only car crews and feeder employees, but also concerns.

“You will automatically take it out of Windsor and look at all the other industries that are left and they will die.”

twilhelm@postmedia.com

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