Letter to PM Carney: Responding to the humanitarian crisis and economic threats to Cuba and Canada

Dear Prime Minister,

Unifor would like to express alarm regarding the U.S. government's ongoing foreign interventionist policies in Latin America - particularly actions affecting the country of Cuba. This is not only fuelling a growing economic and humanitarian crisis in the country, but consequently, impacting workers and threatening jobs here in Canada as well.

The initial U.S. blockade on Cuba triggered a nation-wide fuel shortage, negatively impacting the country's economy, while threatening people's access to essential supplies and services, including food, water and health care. New executive orders recently announced by the White House have placed further sanctions on the country's economic sectors of metals and mining, energy, finance, and others. These sanctions will hurt workers and threaten jobs not only in Cuba but also in Canada, including members of Unifor.

On May 7th, Canada's most prominent investor in Cuba, Sherritt International, announced it was suspending mining operations at their Moa Joint Venture site in Holguín, Cuba.

Unifor represents over 316 workers at the Sherritt metals refinery in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. This refinery is responsible for producing high quality nickel and cobalt, that are considered critical minerals and that are used within Canada and sold to Europe and Asia. With a combined capacity of 38,200 tonnes, it is an important Canadian player in the production of alloys such as stainless steel, heat-resistant and high-performance alloys including those in jet engine blades, and lithium-ion batteries.

The refinery was already running low on inventory of mixed sulfides that were sourced by the mine in Cuba, and this recent announcement will surely threaten the job security of our members in Alberta. Sherritt International is another clear example that the Trump Administration's actions are undermining Canada's industrial interests.

Unifor has previously written regarding our recommendations on upgrading Canadian blocking laws by strengthening the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (FEMA) to protect Canadian industrial capacity being squeezed by the Trump Administration.

Unifor re-iterates these recommendations.

Additional government programs and financing options need to be put into place to allow Canadian corporations to continue their international operations in the face of politically motivated American sanctions. This could be achieved through a sovereign credit facility in Export Development Canada and payments support. The goal should be to protect those industries important to Canada's critical supply chains and avoid further chilling of international investment because of American Presidential decrees.

Unifor is further recommending that diversification of inputs to our critical mineral supply chains be advanced. The Trump Administration cannot be allowed to intervene in ways that directly target or undermine Canadian trade with other countries.

As a union that upholds the principles of international solidarity, we urge the Canadian government to ensure more unnecessary economic harm does not fall upon workers and communities of Cuba, and that we adhere to our humanitarian principles and advocate for the people of Cuba who continue to suffer from U.S. acts of aggression that threaten global peace and stability. We further urge swift federal action and intervention to protect Canadian industries, jobs and workers and the safeguarding of our national economic interests and supply chains from external threats.

Sincerely,

Lana Payne
National President