The three MP's from Windsor-Essex are proposing the federal government form a National Task Force on Tariffs.
Flanked on the riverfront by Windsor-Tecumseh MP Cheryl Hardcastle and Essex MP Tracey Ramsey, Windsor West MP Brian Masse says this has to happen quickly.
Windsor-Tecumseh MP Cheryl Hardcastle, Windsor West MP Brian Masse and Essex MP Tracey Ramsey with MV Tregurtha passing in the Detroit River, August 14, 2018 (by AM800's Peter Langille)
The three New Democrats have written an open letter to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and of International Trade Diversification.
Ramsey says the government is collecting the tariffs, but companies are struggling to access that funding.
"What we're hearing from businesses on the ground and have been trying to help them navigate is how they seek an exemption. But there are timelines that are very prohibitive to people's jobs staying in our region when they're being told they're going to have to wait upwards of five months for inspections that would back up an exemption, that's not acceptable"
Masse says this has a direct impact on the people working in the impacted industries.
"It's not the government's money in the first place, they've decided to do the tariff on the US steel and aluminium industries and potentially there could be something on auto. that money needs to be facilitated really quickly and also very diversely back to companies that are affected by it and the people that are actually doing the work. Otherwise they'll be sitting at the kitchen table with an Employment Insurance slip versus that of a paycheque"
Hardcastle says this is not just an NDP political ploy.
"We are taking a non-partisan approach with this and even talking about national strategies. We're always offering solutions and I have shared my correspondence with other members of parliament from other parts of Canada who don't have a template, who aren't in my caucus"
The idea of the task force was formed after extensive consultations with local industry and other stakeholders, including a visit from NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh.
The task force would be made up of stakeholders in industry, government and labour so all elements of the issue will be addressed.
The federal government has announced a $2-billion support package, but companies are not getting clear answers on how to access the funds.