Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union, and David Chartrand, IAM Canadian General Vice President, issued the following statement rebuking President Trump’s erratic tariff policies, which are creating anxiety for millions of workers across Canada and the United States:

“The Trump administration’s erratic approach to tariffs is wreaking havoc on workers and businesses in the United States and Canada. This reckless trade policy creates unnecessary economic uncertainty, threatens good-paying jobs, and disrupts industries that rely on a stable and cooperative North American supply chain.

“The IAM Union calls for an immediate and permanent end to these damaging tariffs. Canada is not an adversary—it is one of our closest allies and largest trading partners. Instead of using tariffs as a political weapon, the Trump administration should focus on policies reinforcing economic ties between our nations and protecting workers’ livelihoods in aerospace, defense, and manufacturing.

“IAM members demand a trade strategy that puts workers first, fosters long-term economic growth, and strengthens our manufacturing base on both sides of the border.

“Now is the time for real leadership. Real lives are at stake. We urge President Trump and his trade advisors to sit down with all the stakeholders—government, business, and labor—to work together on a comprehensive plan that ensures stability, growth, and job security for workers across North America.”

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.

Vancouver, BC-IAM Local 764 member Janet Andrews was awarded with the King Charles III Coronation medal in a ceremony on February 16^th for exemplary service to her community and the labour movement.

The Coronation Medal commemorates the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III as King of Canada and is awarded to candidates who have made a significant contribution to Canada or to a particular province, territory, region or community, or have made an outstanding achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. There will be 30,000 medals awarded during the anniversary year.

Andrews, a 27-year member of the Machinists’ Union who started out at YVR with United Airlines in 1998 served as Senior Steward, Political Action and Women’s Committee Chairperson at her local before being acclaimed as Secretary Treasurer for the New Westminster & District Labour Council in 2017. She is currently serving her fifth consecutive term at the NWDLC which is the largest labour council in British Columbia, representing over 65,000 union members from almost 100 different union locals in fourteen cities in Metro Vancouver.

In presenting the medal, Member of Parliament for Vancouver-Kingsway Don Davies noted “Janet is a trailblazing labour leader, women’s rights advocate and social justice champion who has given decades of service to improve the lives of workers in our community.”

A tireless advocate for workers, developing future leaders and fostering solidarity, in addition to her work at the NWDLC Andrews serves on the Executive Council of the BC Federation of Labour, completed 6 years on the Board of the United Way of BC and in 2024 was elected Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Pacific Blue Cross, the number one health benefits provider in BC. She is also politically active supporting candidates for office who will stand up for workers at the local, provincial and federal levels of government.

Davies added her “commitment and efforts to support diversity and inclusion in leadership roles in the labour movement and in local government across the Metro Vancouver region are truly nation-building.”