THE FALL ECONOMIC STATEMENT FAILS FOR WORKERS

Canada’s unions continue to demand a government that prioritizes the needs of workers over corporate greed

OTTAWA – At the end of a tumultuous day on Parliament Hill, the federal government’s Fall Economic Statement failed to deliver for workers and once again overlooks the daily struggles of Canadians.

“Workers across this country are battling skyrocketing housing costs, soaring grocery bills, and wages that are not keeping up with the cost of living,” said Bea Bruske, President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “This Fall Economic Statement falls short of workers’ needs.”

The 2024 FES takes some limited steps to address worker issues, like the proposed new refundable tax credit for personal support workers and the government’s consultations plan on regulatory changes to increase penalties for federally regulated employers committing wage theft. Although these measures could improve accountability, they fall short of ensuring comprehensive protections and fair wages for workers.

The economic document tabled in the House of Commons also failed to address critical issues affecting workers including:

• Fixing Canada’s broken Employment Insurance (EI) system, which remains inadequate as layoffs and plant closures loom amid economic uncertainty.
• Implementing fair corporate taxation, such as an excess profits tax and a wealth tax, to ensure corporations and the ultra-rich pay their fair share.
• Expanding affordable housing supply, childcare access, healthcare and income supports, which are urgently needed to ease the affordability crisis gripping Canadians.
• Committing to a bold industrial strategy that prioritizes good, unionized jobs, sustainability, and a worker-centred transition to a net-zero economy.

While the economic statement touches on the housing crisis, it prioritizes low-cost loans to the private sector and mortgage incentives for homebuyers and funding for co-op housing and incentives for secondary suites, it doesn’t address the core housing needs people across Canada are facing. It ignores the financialization of housing driving evictions and rent hikes, fails to invest in non-market housing, and offers nothing for renters, another missed opportunity to address the affordability crisis.

Instead of delivering solutions this government is focusing on misguided priorities—like privatizing public assets—while working families continue to feel the pinch. The government’s push to facilitate private, for-profit ownership of public assets, such as airports, is deeply concerning.

“Public assets belong to Canadians, not large institutional investors looking to profit at the expense of workers and communities,” added Bruske. “Taxpayer money should be used to strengthen public services, not to fund corporate takeovers.”
The looming threat of Trump’s punitive U.S. tariffs targeting Canadian exports poses a significant risk to workers, industries, and communities.

Yet the government’s Fall Economic Statement offered no concrete plans to protect workers from these economic shocks.

Workers are fed up and are standing up, demanding better from their government. This start with taking immediate action to reduce grocery bills, housing costs, and essential service fees and strengthening workers’ rights and ensuring fair negotiations by ending the misuse of back-to-work legislation.

Canada’s Workers Deserve Better
“Budget decisions are about priorities,” said Bruske. “This Fall Economic Statement reflects a government that prioritizes big business over workers’ needs.” Canada’s unions are clear: workers deserve political leadership that prioritizes affordability, fairness, and job security. Canada’s unions will continue to demand action to ensure workers are at the centre of the government’s economic decisions.