IFPTE Says Trump Tariffs on Canada Will Do “great damage” to Canadian and American Working Families

Union also calls Trump’s 51st State declaration “highly insulting”

WASHINGTON, DC - International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) president, Matt Biggs, and secretary-treasurer, Gay Henson, issued the following joint statement in response to President Trump's decision today to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian goods to the United States: 

"Last month when President Trump announced this nonsensical tariff proposal, IFPTE issued a strong and comprehensive statement of condemnation. At that time, we nonetheless held out some hope that the ‘adults in the room’ of this administration would impart upon the president how tariffs would not only start a trade war with our closest friend, Canada but also the great damage this would inflict on Canadian and American working families.   Sadly, and probably not surprisingly, this administration has moved forward with this reckless policy which will cause economic harm to workers and lead to steep inflation on everyday goods that citizens on both sides of the border depend on so heavily.”

This administration has undertaken a tariff policy aimed more at punitive measures over a policy that is strategically targeted at increasing manufacturing and the good-paying, Union-represented jobs that come along with them in both Canada and the United States. Sadly, the President has done so while continuing to insult the people of Canada with this ridiculous notion of becoming the 51st State. This notion is as highly insulting to the Canadian people as tariffs are destructive to our economies and workers. 

“As a Union IFPTE will do everything in our power to urge Congress to use the power of the purse strings in blocking the President from continuing to impose these tariffs. In the meantime, IFPTE is proud to stand in Solidarity with our IFPTE Sisters and Brothers in Canada as we all fight together against the destructive policies being put forth by this administration.” 

IFPTE is a labor union representing 90,000 workers throughout Canada and the United States in the public, private, and federal sectors. 

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