OFL President Renews Call for “All-Hands-On-Deck” Tariff Task Force

/EIN News/ -- TORONTO, Feb. 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) today renewed its appeal to Ontario Premier Doug Ford to equip the province against the 25% US tariffs by creating an emergency Labour-Business-Community Anti-Tariff Task Force.

On January 27, when tariffs were still an unconfirmed threat, the OFL called for the creation of a task force involving worker and business representatives to develop a comprehensive, all-party action plan to counter the anticipated Trump initiative.

Now, one week later, tariffs are a reality, but the OFL says there has still been no response from the government.

OFL President Laura Walton said, “Not only have tariffs moved from rumour to reality, but the need for a task force is even more urgent as the thorny issue of interprovincial trade barriers rises quickly to the forefront of Canada’s anti-tariff agenda.”

“Fighting tariffs is tough enough,” Walton said, “but everyone knows how terribly difficult Canada’s interprovincial trade debate is, and we won’t get it right without everyone at the table.”

The OFL says Ford’s failure to respond may simply reflect that his campaign duties have already distracted him from fully focusing on the tariff threat, and the effects on Ontario workers and our economy.

“A task force is the right thing to do,” Walton said, “and if the Premier is a couple of days late responding, I’m not going to use that as an excuse to give up on a good idea. His office has my cell number, and we’re ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”

Media Contact:
Jenny Sellathurai
Director of Communications
Ontario Federation of Labour
jsellathurai@ofl.ca | 416-894-3456

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