Tariff threat impacting mental health of Quebec workers

Molten aluminum in a smelter is seen at the Alouette aluminum plant in Sept-Iles, Que., Tuesday, May 21, 2019. (Jacques Boissinot / The Canadian Press) (Jacques Boissinot/THE CANADIAN PRESS)

The threat of 25 per cent tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump is creating uncertainty for a number of Canadian and Quebec industries.

Faced with this looming economic war, stress levels are rising among workers in the industries concerned, putting a strain on their mental health.

In Quebec, the lumber and aluminium sectors are likely to be affected by tariffs if President Trump goes ahead with his threat.

According to unions representing these workers, anxiety about job loss is being felt among them.

Unifor is Canada’s largest private-sectorJulie Hébert, the health, safety, and environment coordinator for the United Steelworkers, agrees.

She points out that workers have already had to deal with the challenges of the pandemic and the demands imposed by the recovery, inflation, and, more recently, an economic slowdown in certain industries.

The union represents 320,000 workers in all major sectors of the economy.

In Quebec alone, it has 55,000 members, particularly in the aluminium, aerospace, auto parts and forestry industries.

Unifor Quebec director Daniel Cloutier said that the threat of tariffs was putting pressure on workers and their families.

“I wouldn’t say it’s 100 per cent of our members, but there are a lot of them. Young families, those in a region that depends on one or two industries in their town or village... it’s clear that it generates a lot of anxiety, questioning, fear and all that affects mental health,” he explained.

“We estimate that 60 per cent of our members could be directly or indirectly affected by the increase in American tariffs,” he added.

Cloutier has also noticed a “significant increase” in distress and worry calls from their members.

“There are places where we know, particularly in the auto parts sector, that are going to repatriate production to the United States because they are afraid of the tariffs. So that’s generating a lot of uncertainty, and quite real fears of possible job losses,” said Cloutier.

He believes that the threat of American tariffs comes on top of pre-existing difficulties for workers, such as inflation and rising rents.

Julie Hébert, health, safety and environment coordinator for the United Steelworkers, agrees.

She points out that workers have already had to deal with the challenges of the pandemic and the demands imposed by the recovery, inflation and, more recently, an economic slowdown in certain industries.

“Tariffs have certainly added to the context of the past five years,” said Hébert.

“We’ve seen a pretty spectacular economic cycle,” she continued. “All that put together is definitely causing stress. We’re seeing it a little bit with the economic slowdown, and some members are afraid of losing their jobs.”

The United Steelworkers is a North American union that represents 60,000 workers in Quebec, including thousands in the aluminium, steel, manufacturing and wood cutting and processing industries.

The Steelworkers are also part of a new Canada-US Business Council to try to find solutions on both sides of the border.

Forestry producers also affected

In Quebec, 21 per cent of the forest industry’s roundwood supply comes from 134,000 forest owners, with the rest coming mainly from Quebec’s public forests.

These forest owners are people who have acquired a woodlot and who harvest wood on a full-time or part-time basis to supply the forest industry.

For most of them, selling wood is a secondary income, but for others it is their main source of income.

When they sell their wood to the forest industry, producers send the trees to a sawmill, pulp and paper mill or panel factory in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada, explained Vincent Miville, general manager of the Fédération des producteurs forestiers du Québec (FPFQ).

“The cost of buying the logs is often the biggest cost for a sawmill that is going to turn this into lumber,” he said.

When he talks to people in the industry, he notes that there is a lot of stress about possible tariffs.

As well as producers, workers in mills, subcontractors and timber transporters would all be affected by a tariff hike.

“A forestry producer who commits to cutting or harvesting represents thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars of income, but also the expenses involved in harvesting,” said Miville.

Still, producers are worried, he said.

“Every time there are additional tariffs, it reduces the competitiveness of the Canadian forestry industry, and consequently, the ability of producers to sell roundwood to this forestry industry,” he said. “It undermines opportunities and yes, it can cause some dismay or stress.”

The government wants to be reassuring

This week, Premier François Legault tried to reassure Quebec workers who could be affected by a trade war with the United States.

At a press briefing Wednesday in Saint-Sauveur, he repeated that he wanted to protect Quebecers so that they are as little impacted as possible by Trump’s threat.

“We have to prepare for how we can help businesses,” said Legault. “Currently, even if there are no tariffs for six months, there are already impacts unfortunately on business investments in Canada.”

He acknowledged that 25 per cent tariffs would have a major impact on Quebec’s economy.

“We have to keep a cool head,” Legault said. “We have to be able to say to ourselves: how do we get out of this, how do we replace the lost jobs, how do we respond to the Americans.‘’

Unifor’s Quebec director understands that the government’s promises “help weather the storm,” but he is concerned about the form that aid for workers will take.

“It also creates uncertainty because we don’t know what we’re talking about as aid,” he said.

Cloutier hopes that the premier will think about compensating workers directly, not just businesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 23, 2025.