Unifor's national president is calling Windsor 'ground zero' in the fight to keep jobs in Canada amid tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking at a rally Wednesday in support of locked-out workers at Titan Tool and Die in Windsor, Lana Payne told the over 100 people at the rally that if we don't push back here and in every place, we will lose jobs to the United States.
"Windsor absolutely is ground zero, as are many communities across this country trying to hold on to plants, mills, and production in the forestry sector, the auto sector, and the aluminium sector," she says. "We are under siege. Our members have been on the front lines of this trade war since January, and we're fighting back with everything we have."
The workers at the plant on Howard Avenue, represented by Unifor Local 195, have been locked out since August 11 after contract talks failed.
The last contract expired July 31, and union officials say the employer is looking for major concessions at the bargaining table.
On August 21, Unifor Local 195 President Emile Nabbout said the company removed all the equipment and raw materials from the plant as production is being relocated to the U.S.
Unifor National President Lana Payne speaks at a rally in Windsor in support of workers at Titan Tool and Die. They’ve been locked out since Aug. 11 as materials have been removed from the Howard Ave. plant with production being moved to the U.S. @AM800CKLW pic.twitter.com/KiSaDLBGwo
— Rusty Thomson (@RustyThomson800) September 10, 2025
Payne says the union is drawing a line in the sand.
"We can't have companies in Canada shifting production across the border. We have to send a message, and we're doing that here today," she says
The union represents over 50 workers at Titan Tool and Die, but the majority of them were already on layoff before the lockout began.
Unit Chairperson Randy St. Pierre says the employees come to work every day, hoping that they can still bargain.
"Which we want to do today still," he says. "We come here every day with our work boots in our vehicles, waiting to go back to work."
St. Pierre, who's worked at Titan for 32 years, says the employees have not received a raise in 12 years.
"We've helped them tremendously throughout these last 12 years, even longer than that," he says. "Now all we're asking for is a little bit more money. With the way inflation has gone up, the price of gas, food, and home bills, we just wanted a little bit of money."
"Looking at selling our jobs across the border, and we have to say, 'Look, no more!' The federal government can step in here; the Ontario government can step in here. We need our governments to stand up and fight with us to defend Canadian workers and Canadian jobs," she says.
Titan Tool and Die stamps auto parts for General Motors, Stellantis and Ford.