Only Doug Ford Has a Plan To Protect Ontario Autoworkers
During period of unprecedented economic uncertainty, Ford and Ontario PCs will do whatever is
necessary to protect jobs and paycheques
London, January 30, 2025 — Today, Doug Ford, leader of the Ontario PCs, re-affirmed that a
re-elected PC government will do whatever is necessary to protect Ontario autoworkers, their
jobs and paycheques.
“After years of economic decline under the Liberals, our PC team has fought hard to rebuild
Ontario’s manufacturing sector and bring back good jobs with $45 billion in new investments in
the first electric vehicle and battery plants in the country,” said Doug Ford. “President Trump’s
threats are putting these and hundreds of thousands of other jobs at risk. With a strong,
four-year mandate from the people, I will do whatever is necessary to protect Ontario
autoworkers.”
When implemented, U.S. tariffs on Canada would put 450,000 jobs at risk, including in
manufacturing, construction, service sectors and retail. With President Trump making numerous
threats against Ontario and Canada’s economy and sovereignty, the province is entering a
period of unprecedented economic risk and lengthy negotiations – against President Trump and
with the federal government and other provinces.
President Trump has also threatened to rip up the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which
would destabilise the North American automotive supply chain and put Ontario autoworker jobs
at risk.
Responding to this challenge will demand extraordinary action. To protect Ontario, Doug Ford
needs a strong, four-year mandate from the people that outlives and outlasts the Trump
administration. With this mandate, Ford and the Ontario PCs will protect Ontario autoworkers
by:
- Maintaining Ontario’s financial contributions to the electric vehicle and battery auto pact,
which has attracted more than $45 billion in global investments in the province, including
by Stellantis and LG Energy Solutions in Windsor and Volkswagen in St Thomas. A
re-elected PC government would continue to make these investments regardless of any
decision by the U.S. on the future of the IRA. - Advocating that the federal government do the same, whoever is in office.
- Investing an additional $1 billion in the Skills Development Fund, on top of the existing
$1.5 billion investment, to urgently expand existing training and employment programs
and help workers gain valuable skills for rewarding careers in the skilled trades. - Investing an additional $100 million in the Better Jobs Ontario program to help workers
access skills training and transition into in-demand jobs, including a fast-track stream for
workers in sectors that are vulnerable to trade disruptions. - Investing $38 million to mobilize action centres in the event of layoffs to provide
immediate employment transition supports to affected workers, including job retraining
assistance, career counselling and more. - Advocating that the federal government work with provinces and territories to urgently
and significantly expand worker protections, including employment insurance and the
Wage Earner Protection Program.
Only Doug Ford has a plan to protect Ontario:
- Building Ontario’s economy by investing more than $200 billion in our plan to build
roads, highways, transit and other infrastructure projects while investing over $2.5 billion
to train more than a million people for better jobs and bigger paycheques in the skilled
trades. - Protecting workers in the face of President Trump’s tariffs by doing whatever is
necessary to protect people’s livelihoods, including by investing tens of billions of dollars
to keep people working. - Keeping us competitive by fighting the job-killing Liberal carbon tax and urging the
federal government to cut red tape and streamline approvals to get big things built. - Cleaning up our streets by protecting families and children by banning drug injection
sites near schools and daycares and clearing out encampments from public parks with
new investments in shelters. - Delivering better care, including by investing over $1 billion more to connect everyone
in Ontario to a family doctor and primary care.
Doug Ford will never stop working to protect Ontario.
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