Labour Federation calls for bold, united response to protect workers and the economy
The Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL) again calls for a united and firm response in our province, including measures protecting workers, our communities, and our economy. Nova Scotia Federation of Labour President Danny Cavanagh has been clear from the outset that this is an existential crisis that demands a united and coordinated response that meets the seriousness of this moment.
Cavanagh met last night with other union leaders from across the country and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, where we received an update.
“We know that many of these measures require federal government capacity and action. The Government of Nova Scotia must act and use whatever levers are available to supplement federal efforts.
“These trade tariffs will have a devastating impact on our province. We must take all necessary steps to protect jobs, protect workers, safeguard our economy, and plan for the future. Again, we are calling for a coordinated approach, a united front between government, industry, and labour, ensuring we maintain economic stability and protecting our workers and communities from trade disruptions and their far-reaching impacts.
“That is why we called on the Premier to create a trade coalition to help us ensure the broader communities’ voices are heard and that workers and their needs are acted upon as the provincial government manages and responds to these tariffs. Workers are worried and suffering mental distress because they lack knowledge about their jobs from the province, so we need to get the information train on the tracks about how workers will be protected,” says Cavanagh.
The NSFL is recommending and advocating for a comprehensive response that includes but is not limited to:
- Building and maintaining public services
- Income support for workers
- Enhancements to employment insurance
- Transition, upskilling, and education pathways for workers and changes to EI that help workers stay on the job
- Long-term economic diversification planning
- Strategic planning to reduce reliance on American trade markets
- Procurement directives for the province
- Build and maintain our infrastructure, like ports and transportation
- Promoting local and Canadian-made products
- Liquidity support for affected industries and businesses to protect jobs
- Strong retaliatory measures
Cavanagh believes we can get through these challenging times together, but we need to pull a group together to ensure all our voices are heard in this trade war, and our unions will be front and center in that head-on. The response by the government must be far greater than that of the pandemic and put in place quickly.
