Unifor calls for swift action to save PACCAR plant following tariff-related layoffs

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Unifor
|October 22, 2025
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MONTREAL –Unifor is calling for an urgent domestic procurement plan to save the PACCAR plant in Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, following the company’s announcement of 300 additional layoffs tied to the imminent imposition of heavy-duty truck tariffs by the Trump administration.

“The upcoming tariffs are a brutal blow to an already struggling company,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This is yet another example of why Canada needs a real national industrial strategy—one that includes made-in-Canada procurement to protect our jobs, our communities, and our future.”

The 300 Unifor Local 728 members at PACCAR are the latest victims in the escalating U.S. tariff war, following previous layoffs in December 2024 and July 2025. Unifor says it will do everything possible to support affected members and fight to secure the long-term future of the plant.

The union stresses that the decision underscores the urgent need for immediate action to preserve jobs and safeguard a key pillar of Quebec’s industrial expertise. Time is running out for negotiations between Canada and the United States to yield concrete results but while negotiations continue, Unifor says concrete short-term measures must be deployed now.

Unifor is calling on the Quebec government to issue a clear directive prioritizing local procurement. Public and parapublic organizations—including Hydro-Québec, the SAQ, municipalities, police forces, and state-owned corporations—must be required to purchase trucks built in Quebec. Today, many continue to buy vehicles manufactured outside the country.

“This is a wake-up call. If the Sainte-Thérèse plant loses access to the U.S. market, we must immediately replenish its order book with local customers,” said Unifor Quebec Director Daniel Cloutier. “The Quebec government has direct leverage through public purchasing. It must lead by example and press all levels of government in Canada to do the same.”

Unifor reaffirms its commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to find a lasting solution. "We are ready to work with PACCAR, governments, and our economic partners to maintain production here. But we must take action without delay, because every job lost further weakens our industrial future," added Cloutier.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future. 

For media inquiries in English, contact Unifor Communications Director Kathleen O’Keefe at [email protected] or by cell at (416) 896-3303.

For media inquiries in French, contact: Unifor Quebec Communications Representative Véronique Figliuzzi at [email protected].

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