Listen to Shortened Version of Interview
In a powerful and impassioned interview with Global News journalist and popular radio show host Mike Smyth on August 5, Geoff Dawe, National President of the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC), delivered a bold and unapologetically pro-worker message in defense of Canadian jobs, communities, and sovereignty.
Dawe was especially vocal about the devastating impact of the Trump-imposed tariffs on Canada’s softwood lumber sector. He described the American measures as “economic intimidation designed to weaken Canadian industry and empower U.S. monopolies,” and warned that without urgent support from Ottawa, thousands of good-paying union jobs — many in rural and Indigenous communities — are at risk. “We need support for our workers, for our communities, whether it’s work share, or retraining.”
He praised Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent $1.2 billion commitment to support the struggling forestry sector, calling it “a necessary step to defend our workers and maintain Canadian control over our resources.” However, Dawe made it clear the fight doesn’t end there. “We need more than band-aids. We need to make sure that we have a sustainable forestry policy for years to come so our grand kids will be able to make a living off of the industry.”
Throughout the interview, Dawe stressed the importance of union solidarity and worker empowerment. He highlighted the PPWC’s commitment to not just defending existing jobs, but creating better ones—through investments in green energy, public infrastructure, and sustainable resource management. “The forest industry brings billions of dollars into our economy. The government needs to recognize how beneficial we are to Canada as a whole.”
In a time of uncertainty, Geoff Dawe’s voice stood out as clear, principled, and rooted in the belief that workers are the backbone of Canada—and they deserve a government, and an economy, that works for them.
