CanadaB次元官网网址檚 largest private-sector unions could be among those with their hands on the helm next year when the time comes to navigate the shoals of Joe BidenB次元官网网址檚 proposed Buy American rules.

The president-elect, a self-proclaimed B次元官网网址渂lue-collar Joe,B次元官网网址� makes no secret of his affinity for organized labour, or of his plan to ensure U.S. workers and companies are first in line to reap the benefits of his economic recovery plan.

B次元官网网址淚 want you know IB次元官网网址檓 a union guy. Unions are going to have increased power,B次元官网网址� Biden said he told corporate leaders during a meeting this week on his strategy for the economy.

B次元官网网址淭hey just nodded. They understand. ItB次元官网网址檚 not anti-business. ItB次元官网网址檚 about economic growth, creating good-paying jobs.B次元官网网址�

That working-class solidarity could be good news for Canada, where prominent unions like the United Steelworkers and the United Food and Commercial Workers have members on both sides of the border.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e going to be a voice, and rightfully so,B次元官网网址� said Ken Neumann, the national director of the Canadian branch of the United Steelworkers, 225,000 of whose 850,000 North American members live and work north of the border.

B次元官网网址淥ur union has a long-standing relationship with president-elect Biden B次元官网网址� and he knows who the Steelworkers are, so we are going to work hard to say that Canada should not be excluded.B次元官网网址�

UFCW International president Marc Perrone was among the U.S. labour leaders who took part in TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 economic panel with Biden. The union boasts 1.3 million members across North America, including more than 250,000 in Canada.

B次元官网网址淲e are currently monitoring the situation and working through our international office to ensure that the views and concerns of our members B次元官网网址� on both sides of the border B次元官网网址� are front and centre,B次元官网网址� UFCW Canada president Paul Meinema said in a statement.

Following that meeting, Biden was jarringly clear: no government contracts will be awarded to companies that donB次元官网网址檛 manufacture their products in the United States, reprising similar rules he oversaw as Barack ObamaB次元官网网址檚 vice-president in 2009. The United States was struggling back from the financial crisis and deep recession that followed.

Canada successfully negotiated waivers to those rules 10 years ago. ItB次元官网网址檚 also likely that BidenB次元官网网址檚 unequivocal rhetoric is meant primarily for U.S. ears, considering the extent of domestic tensions in AmericaB次元官网网址檚 superheated postelection atmosphere.

But those tensions are real, and protectionism is now more of a force in the U.S. than it was in 2009, regardless of which party is in power, said Dan Ujczo, an Ohio lawyer who specializes in international trade.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 almost a universal view that whatever needs to be done has to include some type of a Buy American provision,B次元官网网址� said Ujczo, chairman of Dickinson WrightB次元官网网址檚 Canada-U.S. practice group.

The narrow results of the Nov. 3 election suggest there are plenty of working-class Americans in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio who hold no strong allegiance to either party, he said.

B次元官网网址淭hose are the voters that are still up for grabs by either Democrats and Republicans, and Buy American resonates there. So to me, that is a significant difference B次元官网网址� the tide has become even stronger for Buy American.B次元官网网址�

Jerry Dias, president of Unifor, formerly the Canadian Auto Workers and CanadaB次元官网网址檚 largest private-sector union, said heB次元官网网址檚 confident BidenB次元官网网址檚 presidency will herald a new era in relations between the two countries.

B次元官网网址淚 think the United States is going to head in a much better direction as it relates to the safety of the people,B次元官网网址� Dias said of the administrationB次元官网网址檚 incoming efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檒l be a kinder, gentler nation within the confines of the United States, and frankly, I think the relationship with Canada will improve.B次元官网网址�

Indeed, COVID-19 B次元官网网址� which has laid bare the supply-chain dependency that exists between the two countries B次元官网网址� may offer Canada its best chance to forge closer ties, Ujczo said.

Since getting the virus under control will be BidenB次元官网网址檚 top priority once he takes office, a shared approach to the production and distribution of personal protective equipment like face masks, gloves and gowns will make a lot of sense B次元官网网址� to say nothing of the shared border, which has been closed to non-essential travel since March.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 the political space right now to come together and say, B次元官网网址楲etB次元官网网址檚 look at how we create a Canada-U.S. market for PPE, for vaccination, et cetera,B次元官网网址� Ujczo said.

B次元官网网址淚f you start there, then you can say, B次元官网网址榃e donB次元官网网址檛 need Buy American for that,B次元官网网址� and then itB次元官网网址檚 an easier conversation that has to go to the next thing.B次元官网网址�

Canada, of course, has its own protectionist sentiments.

Dias, Neumann and others say Canada should be taking a page from the U.S. playbook and doing more to ensure that their Canadian members reap the benefits when taxpayer dollars are spent on infrastructure in their own country.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 sad to see that we have bridges in our country that are built with Chinese steel,B次元官网网址� Neumann said. B次元官网网址淚 mean, what donB次元官网网址檛 we get?B次元官网网址�

DonB次元官网网址檛 assume that the end of the Trump era will automatically usher in a new era in the U.S., even after Biden takes office, warned Michael Froman, who was U.S. trade representative during ObamaB次元官网网址檚 second term.

B次元官网网址淭here is actually a high risk of miscalculation by our trading partners B次元官网网址� who sort of assume that everything is going to be sweetness and light going forward,B次元官网网址� Froman told a panel discussion Wednesday.

B次元官网网址淭he issues that have been at issue between ourselves and our trading partners are very much likely to remain a focus in need of getting resolved, not swept under the carpet.B次元官网网址�

James McCarten, The Canadian Press

Like us on and follow us on .

Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation