Canada91裸聊视频檚 largest private-sector unions could be among those with their hands on the helm next year when the time comes to navigate the shoals of Joe Biden91裸聊视频檚 proposed Buy American rules.
The president-elect, a self-proclaimed 91裸聊视频渂lue-collar Joe,91裸聊视频� makes no secret of his affinity for organized labour, or of his plan to ensure U.S. workers and companies are first in line to reap the benefits of his economic recovery plan.
91裸聊视频淚 want you know I91裸聊视频檓 a union guy. Unions are going to have increased power,91裸聊视频� Biden said he told corporate leaders during a meeting this week on his strategy for the economy.
91裸聊视频淭hey just nodded. They understand. It91裸聊视频檚 not anti-business. It91裸聊视频檚 about economic growth, creating good-paying jobs.91裸聊视频�
That working-class solidarity could be good news for Canada, where prominent unions like the United Steelworkers and the United Food and Commercial Workers have members on both sides of the border.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e going to be a voice, and rightfully so,91裸聊视频� said Ken Neumann, the national director of the Canadian branch of the United Steelworkers, 225,000 of whose 850,000 North American members live and work north of the border.
91裸聊视频淥ur union has a long-standing relationship with president-elect Biden 91裸聊视频� and he knows who the Steelworkers are, so we are going to work hard to say that Canada should not be excluded.91裸聊视频�
UFCW International president Marc Perrone was among the U.S. labour leaders who took part in Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 economic panel with Biden. The union boasts 1.3 million members across North America, including more than 250,000 in Canada.
91裸聊视频淲e are currently monitoring the situation and working through our international office to ensure that the views and concerns of our members 91裸聊视频� on both sides of the border 91裸聊视频� are front and centre,91裸聊视频� UFCW Canada president Paul Meinema said in a statement.
Following that meeting, Biden was jarringly clear: no government contracts will be awarded to companies that don91裸聊视频檛 manufacture their products in the United States, reprising similar rules he oversaw as Barack Obama91裸聊视频檚 vice-president in 2009. The United States was struggling back from the financial crisis and deep recession that followed.
Canada successfully negotiated waivers to those rules 10 years ago. It91裸聊视频檚 also likely that Biden91裸聊视频檚 unequivocal rhetoric is meant primarily for U.S. ears, considering the extent of domestic tensions in America91裸聊视频檚 superheated postelection atmosphere.
But those tensions are real, and protectionism is now more of a force in the U.S. than it was in 2009, regardless of which party is in power, said Dan Ujczo, an Ohio lawyer who specializes in international trade.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 almost a universal view that whatever needs to be done has to include some type of a Buy American provision,91裸聊视频� said Ujczo, chairman of Dickinson Wright91裸聊视频檚 Canada-U.S. practice group.
The narrow results of the Nov. 3 election suggest there are plenty of working-class Americans in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio who hold no strong allegiance to either party, he said.
91裸聊视频淭hose are the voters that are still up for grabs by either Democrats and Republicans, and Buy American resonates there. So to me, that is a significant difference 91裸聊视频� the tide has become even stronger for Buy American.91裸聊视频�
Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, formerly the Canadian Auto Workers and Canada91裸聊视频檚 largest private-sector union, said he91裸聊视频檚 confident Biden91裸聊视频檚 presidency will herald a new era in relations between the two countries.
91裸聊视频淚 think the United States is going to head in a much better direction as it relates to the safety of the people,91裸聊视频� Dias said of the administration91裸聊视频檚 incoming efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檒l be a kinder, gentler nation within the confines of the United States, and frankly, I think the relationship with Canada will improve.91裸聊视频�
Indeed, COVID-19 91裸聊视频� which has laid bare the supply-chain dependency that exists between the two countries 91裸聊视频� may offer Canada its best chance to forge closer ties, Ujczo said.
Since getting the virus under control will be Biden91裸聊视频檚 top priority once he takes office, a shared approach to the production and distribution of personal protective equipment like face masks, gloves and gowns will make a lot of sense 91裸聊视频� to say nothing of the shared border, which has been closed to non-essential travel since March.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 the political space right now to come together and say, 91裸聊视频楲et91裸聊视频檚 look at how we create a Canada-U.S. market for PPE, for vaccination, et cetera,91裸聊视频� Ujczo said.
91裸聊视频淚f you start there, then you can say, 91裸聊视频榃e don91裸聊视频檛 need Buy American for that,91裸聊视频� and then it91裸聊视频檚 an easier conversation that has to go to the next thing.91裸聊视频�
Canada, of course, has its own protectionist sentiments.
Dias, Neumann and others say Canada should be taking a page from the U.S. playbook and doing more to ensure that their Canadian members reap the benefits when taxpayer dollars are spent on infrastructure in their own country.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 sad to see that we have bridges in our country that are built with Chinese steel,91裸聊视频� Neumann said. 91裸聊视频淚 mean, what don91裸聊视频檛 we get?91裸聊视频�
Don91裸聊视频檛 assume that the end of the Trump era will automatically usher in a new era in the U.S., even after Biden takes office, warned Michael Froman, who was U.S. trade representative during Obama91裸聊视频檚 second term.
91裸聊视频淭here is actually a high risk of miscalculation by our trading partners 91裸聊视频� who sort of assume that everything is going to be sweetness and light going forward,91裸聊视频� Froman told a panel discussion Wednesday.
91裸聊视频淭he issues that have been at issue between ourselves and our trading partners are very much likely to remain a focus in need of getting resolved, not swept under the carpet.91裸聊视频�
James McCarten, The Canadian Press
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