Union urges connection with auto industry for new MPs, as Windsor-Essex gets swept blue
A local auto union president says the automotive industry still needs a seat at the table, and he'll be advocating to ensure the region's new MPs carry the sector's voice to Ottawa.
"If you don't have a seat at the government table, yes, it can put our community at some disadvantage," said Emile Nabbout. He represents Unifor Local 195, which has workers at local auto feeder plants. .
Nabbout, who called the election results "disappointing," praised the NDP's Brian Masse and his success as the region's voice in the opposition in Ottawa. Masse lost his seat to the Conservative's Harb Gill on Monday night.
Nabbout says it's a critical time for the region given the U.S. trade war and automotive tariffs.
"My message to the elected Conservative MPs in our area, is to continue connecting with the community and working with labour leaders to protect the jobs and defend Canadian sovereignty and be supportive to the Prime Minister," he said.
"Sometimes we may have a dispute, but we have to support. This is a big fight that we've been facing with the challenger from across the border and unity is needed."
It's a sentiment echoed by Unifor Local 444 president James Stewart, who says Canada needs to continue its fight against auto tariffs now the election is over.
For Jamey Essex, professor of political science at the University of Windsor, Kathy Borrelli flipping Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore for Conservatives and ousting Liberal incumbent Irek Kusmierczyk was "a bit of surprise."
Essex said now, the newly elected Conservative MPs will "have to switch from campaign mode to governing mode."
"They are still fairly important here: the unions, the auto sector, and they're going to want a seat at the table," he said.
Essex said Conservative MPs will also have to work to get Windsor's issues heard by the Carney government.
"They'll have to listen to these concerns because this is going to be one of the places most impacted by the tariffs, even though Trump [Tuesday] said he's going to start walking back some of the auto sector tariffs but they're not going away," he said.
"So [Conservative MPs] are going to have to work with the unions, the automakers, local communities to figure out how you can best represent them, as part of the official opposition," he said.
"It's something that the federal government will also have to pay attention to, unless they want this place to be completely hollowed out because that is one potential outcome of the long term tariff structure that's been put in place..."
"It's not something that's going to be easy to adjust to and could bring a lot of pain."
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