Navigating the trade crisis: Protecting workers means protecting households from food insecurity

Canada’s escalating trade crisis comes at a time when the country is already facing historically high rates of food insecurity. At least 1 in 4 people are living in households that can’t put food on the table, and those households are also more likely to struggle to afford housing and other basics. The impacts of the U.S. tariffs and trade uncertainty will put further pressure on many households, particularly those facing job loss, reduced hours, or other disruptions to their income. For people already struggling to afford food and other basics, losing employment income could plunge them into a food crisis. This reality makes it essential that strong, accessible income supports, including a re-imagined Employment Insurance (EI) system, be at the heart of Canada’s response to the trade crisis.

Given the severity of the situation, Right To Food was pleased to see the federal government move quickly with a suite of new measures to support workers affected by U.S. tariffs. In particular, we welcome the extension of the temporary EI measures that waive the one-week waiting period and allow workers to receive EI without first using separation payments such as severance or vacation pay. Other important measures include the extension of up to 20 additional weeks of regular EI benefits for eligible long-tenured workers, and the new temporary measure allowing some workers who voluntarily left a recent job to access EI when their subsequent job loss was through no fault of their own.

We also welcome the continued focus on Work-Sharing and the new Workforce Retention and Retraining Program, which can help employers retain workers rather than resorting to layoffs, as well as the enhanced efforts to connect workers with available jobs and training.

All of these concrete steps will provide meaningful relief at a time when workers and families are facing considerable uncertainty. At the same time, this moment reinforces why Canada needs permanent EI reform, not temporary fixes that expire while the underlying gaps remain. We echo calls from the Canadian Labour Congress and Unifor for EI that is easier to access, provides adequate benefits and protects workers for as long as they need support.

Consistent with these requests, Right To Food is calling for the federal government to reduce the qualifying threshold to 300 hours for all regions, ensure access for all workers, and increase benefit rates to 75% of average insurable weekly earnings for most workers and 85% for low-wage workers. These changes matter for food security: our current EI system is failing far too many people, with nearly half of households relying primarily on EI experiencing food insecurity.

As Canada responds to this trade crisis, we urge the federal government to build on the new measures by making EI more accessible, adequate and permanent. Workers did not cause this crisis, and they should not have to pay for it by going without the food and other essentials their families need.

Protecting workers is a good food security policy. Now is the time to strengthen the income supports that help people weather economic shocks with dignity.

Contact for media inquiries or interview requests:

Hani Ramadhani
Media and Content Manager
[email protected]