Trump’s tariff, which is scheduled to take effect on April 2, may start at a base rate of 2.5 per cent, but its broader implications remain murky. For workers like Bonita McCarthy, a long-time employee and now union awareness trainer at CAMI, the uncertainty is deeply unsettling. She says the announcement has only intensified the fear felt across an industry already struggling with sporadic shutdowns, parts shortages, and unstable work schedules.
Liberal Leader Mark Carney responded swiftly during a campaign stop in Windsor, one of Canada’s key automotive hubs, pledging a $2 billion “strategic response fund” to safeguard the domestic industry from Trump’s tariffs. He framed the move as a necessary counter to protect Canadian workers and preserve long-standing cross-border cooperation. Carney’s announcement comes amid a heated campaign trail, where NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has condemned Trump’s move as a “full frontal attack,” and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre emphasized the cross-border impact on workers in both nations.
Kim Dionne, another CAMI employee and union training coordinator, says Canadian and American autoworkers should be seen as collaborators, not rivals. She stressed that cars and parts cross the border numerous times during production and that the network tying the North American industry together cannot simply be severed overnight. Dionne warned that one man’s decision should not be allowed to destabilize an industry that has taken more than a century to build.