MBP Ep 3: Exclusive with Lana Payne: The Fight for Canada's Auto Sector and Our Industrial Future

MBP Intelligence Briefing

In this episode Ben Woodfinden and Shannon Phillips talk with National President of UNIFOR Lana Payne and discuss:

• Stellantis, subsidies and Trump Pressure 03:02:18

• Government Tools and Leverage 05:49:12

• On a Team Canada Strategy, and potential divergence between federal and provincial governments 10:36:15

• On the Future of the Canadian Auto Sector 22:00:01

• On Labour Power and Policy 32:06:10

• Unifors Position and it’s members 42:20:10

Key Takeaways

On Stellantis, Subsidies and Trump Pressure

• PAYNE: This is the most blatant example of a corporation appeasing Trump. Canada must play hardball, enforce commitments negotiated in 2023, and make companies feel consequences when they move Canadian jobs.

• PAYNE: Failure to act risks a domino effect — if Stellantis escapes accountability, others like GM could follow.

• PHILLIPS: What matters now is not rhetoric but tools — what governments can actually do to make firms fulfill their obligations.

On Government Tools and Leverage

• PAYNE: Canada has powerful levers if it chooses to use them, beginning with a tariff-remission strategy that rewards companies meeting Canadian production commitments and penalizes those that don’t.

• PAYNE: If you’re going to sell here, you need to build here. Market access, energy supply, and public subsidies are all bargaining chips.

• PAYNE: Governments can no longer rely only on incentives. The world has changed — we must use sticks as well as carrots.

On a Team Canada Strategy

• PHILLIPS: The provinces, especially Ontario, have meaningful leverage; their willingness to act matters.

• WOODFINDEN: Emerging divergence between Ford and Carney that was not there a few months ago. Ford is fighting openly while Ottawa appears more cautious.

• PAYNE: Canada risks fragmentation as provinces pursue separate interests. We need a strong Team Canada approach uniting unions, industry, and all levels of government.

• PAYNE: Trump’s trade posture is an existential threat. He’s coming for our auto jobs.

• PAYNE: Need to think about and plan for long-term resilience. We can’t just export raw materials and help someone else build their economy — we must build our own industrial base.

On the Future of the Canadian Auto Sector

• PAYNE: Before Trump’s trade war, Canada was finally rebuilding its footprint — battery plants, EV supply chains, and domestic R&D. U.S. backtracking threatens that progress.

• PAYNE: Warns that China’s massive overproduction of vehicles could soon flood the global market. Canada must plan now to compete.

On Labour Power and Policy

• PAYNE: Section 107 is a very dangerous path. It conditions employers to expect government rescue instead of bargaining fairly. Using 107 will not bring labour peace; it prolongs workplace problems.

• PHILLIPS: Government may need clearer guardrails before invoking 107.

• PAYNE: You don’t get to use 107 — that’s the starting point. Supports mediation and conciliation instead of forced arbitration.

• WOODFINDEN: Notes shifts in the political landscape as unionized and blue-collar voters move toward conservatives.

Shifting Political Coalitions and Realignments

• PAYNE: Unifor stays non-partisan. We build our own power. Every party is chasing the working vote, which strengthens labour’s influence.

• PAYNE: The voter shift is about bread-and-butter issues — housing, wages, inflation — not ideology. People felt heard.

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