The federal government has announced billions of dollars in support aimed at helping workers and businesses across Canada impacted by the tariffs imposed by the U.S. government.
During an announcement Friday at the Unifor Local 444 union hall on Turner Road in Windsor, Secretary of State for Small Business Rechie Valdez detailed several programs being launched, many that will support Ontario's auto workers, parts suppliers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
The programs come after meetings through the summer, including one in Windsor that involved Liberal MPs from across Ontario and union leaders.
The focus of the announcements revolves around financial support to help workers retrain or access improved access to employment insurance, along with grants and loans to help small, medium, and large businesses upgrade or adapt their capabilities to stay in their current communities and meet the changing trade markets impacted by tariffs.
A new $450 million reskilling package is being launched to train 50,000 workers through employer-based training, short courses, and career counselling.
Valdez says during the training, workers can also access financial assistance to retain their job or fill in-demand jobs.
"So you don't have to worry about, while learning, what you do from paycheck to paycheck. So this is about supporting workers to move into roles that are open now or coming next," she says.
Starting October 12 and retroactive to June 15, 20 extra weeks of employment insurance will be provided to long-tenured workers, up to 65 weeks total. The change is expected to support about 190,000 long-tenured workers. The temporary suspension of the separation-payment rules will be extended to April 11, 2026, so that severance payments do not impact EI claims. There will also be a waiver of the one-week waiting period for EI, supporting an additional 700,000 claimants.
The federal government is investing $382 million to launch new Workforce Alliances, bringing together employers, unions, and industry groups to help businesses and workers. A new Sectoral Workforce Investment Fund will also invest in projects tailored to local job markets to help businesses recruit and retain the workforce they need.
The government will invest $5 billion through the Strategic Response Fund to help firms in sectors impacted by tariffs to adapt and diversify their capabilities, secure new markets, and enable long-term growth.
Valdez says they heard from businesses who wondered how they compete with the U.S.
"This fund is really intended for plants to retool and actually invest to keep their workers here as opposed to moving to the U.S. They can upgrade; they can invest and modernize their operations. So this fund is very open so that all those projects need to adjust; they will have the critical support to keep jobs in Windsor."
The government will expand support to small and medium-sized businesses, including automotive parts suppliers, through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative by increasing total available funding from $450 million to $1 billion over three years, with flexible terms, and expanding non-repayable contributions to eligible businesses impacted by tariffs across all affected sectors.
The government will increase the maximum loan size available to small and medium-sized enterprises through the Business Development Bank of Canada from $2 million to $5 million. In addition, more flexible financing will be made available to larger firms through the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan Facility.
Unifor Local 444 President James Stewart says local union leaders had some intense meetings with Minister Valdez, and these supports show they are listening to what they need.
"You know it's when you put the whole package together. If you go into retraining, you need to be able to pay your bills, so the EI supports are important. Making sure you're investing to make sure you're keeping companies here-that's another way to reduce layoffs," he says.