Upholding the Rights of Workers at Home and Abroad
Statement from the President of the CTF/FCE
Ottawa, January 27, 2026 – The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE) remains alarmed by the rise in attacks on the rights of workers and their livelihoods in North America.
Canada’s educators emphasize their solidarity with workers north and south of the border whose jobs have been lost or are at risk due to reckless and unjustified tariffs or aimless austerity measures.
Instead of reenacting nationalist tools from the last century that ultimately plunged the world into two devastating world wars and several global economic crises, the CTF/FCE strongly believes in international cooperation and mutually beneficial trade amongst allies and friends.
We call on the Canadian government to increase support for colleagues in the automotive, steel, manufacturing, and resource sectors, which have come under pressure through no fault of their own and now face the threat of a new imperialist approach to trade on this continent.
Canada needs to stand up to these destructive developments and be a champion and protector of workers and insist that their rights are protected and respected in any international trade agreement that includes Canada. A failure to do so would jeopardize the stability of the entire economy. If the private economy suffers, public services are at risk of falling victim to misguided austerity.
Workers are the backbone of every economy. In the face of unprecedented external pressures on our economy, the federal, provincial and territorial governments need to play their part to build an economy that delivers for everyone by:
- Supporting communities through job protections and public service investments.
- Investing in education, public healthcare, and housing affordability.
- Fighting tax evasion and price gouging.
- Insisting on the protection and respect of workers’ rights in any international trade agreement.
At a time when global economic uncertainty demands principled leadership and renewed collaboration, Canada faces an important choice. Rather than contributing to the stability and shared prosperity that working people depend on, recent policy approaches have too often fallen short of the coordinated, forward -looking action this moment demands. The CTF/FCE calls on the Government of Canada to demonstrate clear leadership by reaffirming its commitment to cooperation, fair trade, and economic policies that protect and strengthen the rights of workers at home and abroad.
In Quebec, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) is trying to break unions by making it more difficult for workers to join and by restricting how union dues can be collected or paid. The same strategy has already been applied in Alberta, where the United Conservative Party (UCP) government ended a legal teachers’ strike by invoking the notwithstanding clause, thereby denying our colleagues their Charter rights to free and collective bargaining.
These actions do not unite Canadians; instead, they divide citizens seemingly for the sake of shoring up power in the hands of increasingly unpopular governments. In times of existential threats to Canada’s well-being, this is not the type of behaviour any worker should have to tolerate.
The Canadian government cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes.
In solidarity,
Clint Johnston
President, The Canadian Teachers’ Federation
About the CTF/FCE
Founded in 1920, the CTF/FCE is a national alliance of provincial and territorial teachers’ organizations that represent over 370,000 teachers and education workers across Canada. The CTF/FCE is also an affiliate of Education International, which represents more than 33 million educators.
Media Contact
Nika Quintao, Director of Public Affairs (CTF/FCE)
[email protected]
Mobile: 613-688-4319
