If you're an auto worker in Canada, hearing about trade talks for steel, aluminum, and energy, you might wonder if Canadians have your back. A new poll suggests they do, and by a wide margin.
The poll, commissioned by Unifor and the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association, and conducted by Pollara, found 74 per cent of Canadians think the national economy would be devastated if the Canadian auto sector collapsed.
"Canadians fully understand the significance of this U.S. attack on Canadian workers, their communities, and the country's entire industrial base," said Unifor National President Lana Payne. "As a nation, it's clear that we do not want to back down and allow [U.S. President Donald] Trump to kill Canadian auto and manufacturing jobs."
Across Canada, 70 percent of those polled don't think Canada should sacrifice the auto sector to get a good trade deal with the U.S. That figure rises to 75 per cent in Ontario.
Other findings from the poll found that 78 per cent of Canadians worry about the future of the auto sector. Sixty-three per cent, rising to 80 per cent of Liberal voters, think the federal government should provide the auto sector with financial support for the duration of the trade war, and two-thirds would boycott, or consider a boycott, of any company that moves its operations out of Canada to the U.S.
"Canadian automotive suppliers invest billions of dollars annually in advanced manufacturing work that helps keep this country globally competitive," said Flavio Volpe, the president of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Association. "Canadians understand that this is under threat from abroad precisely because of the high-level employment and economic benefit these commitments generate."
Pollara sampled over 2,700 people between October 11 and October 20.
