Poilievre’s Bid to Woo the Union Vote Is Hitting Snags

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre stepped up to a podium at a campaign stop in Saint John, New Brunswick, Monday wearing a western-style blue shirt, pumped his fist in the air and asked, “Who’s ready to get building?”

Behind Poilievre stood a row of workers in hoodies and hard hats. The sign on his podium read, “Workers First for a Change.”

Poilievre's pledges of support for new pipeline construction drew applause and cheers from members of Atlantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers Local 1386.

“My mission is to make Canada work for the people who do the work,” he said. “You are those people.”

Poilievre’s speech echoed those he has made across the country in visits and campaign stops at union halls, factories and workplaces.

It’s part of the Conservative campaign to win workers’ support, backed by a list of union endorsements and a new three-word slogan: “Boots, Not Suits.”

Some analysts say the Conservative leader expected a wave of support from some construction unions, based on promises to deliver big infrastructure projects and perceptions that the Liberal government under Justin Trudeau had slowed approvals for major initiatives.

But the change in Liberal leadership and U.S. tariff threats changed the political landscape, including union political support.

And some labour groups say the Conservatives support anti-worker policies and would cut public spending on programs like health care and employment insurance as workers struggle with economic uncertainty.

The Conservative party did not respond to requests for comment.

Pushing hard

The Conservatives have pushed hard to sell themselves as a party for workers.

Under its “Boots, Not Suits” plan, the party promises more training programs, grants and faster employment insurance payouts for apprentices in licensed trades.

Poilievre has announced he will also take the sales tax off home purchases and cut income taxes by 15 per cent, parts of his proposed solution to affordability issues.

In its policy declaration, the party says it supports the right of workers to unionize and legally strike.

The declaration adds the party also supports right-to-work legislation, widely seen as undermining unions. The policy would let individual workers opt out of union membership and union dues and has been condemned by some public sector unions and labour organizations.

On its website, the Conservative party boasts of an endorsement from the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers Canada and what the party calls endorsements of Poilievre’s plan for workers by labour voices including Canada’s Building Trades Unions; the Labourers’ International Union of North America, or LiUNA; and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, or IBEW, Construction Council of Ontario.

But the claims aren’t entirely true. Both LiUNA Canada — which last endorsed the Liberals in 2015 — and the IBEW Ontario council have posted support for specific Conservative policies on social media and appreciation for visits from Poilievre. But neither has formally endorsed a party in the federal election. (Both unions did endorse the Ontario Progressive Conservatives during the provincial election.)

Also included in the Conservative party’s union endorsement list is the Progressive Contractors Association of Canada — an employers association, not a union.

Steven Tufts, a labour researcher at York University, said he believes the federal Conservatives are trying to emulate the success of their Ontario counterparts. Premier Doug Ford won a provincial election in February with endorsements from unions.

“Every photo op Doug Ford did in plants had unions and union T-shirts standing behind him. He loved his pictures of guys in hard hats behind him,” Tufts said. “Poilievre is doing the same thing.”

Last week, Poilievre posted a video to YouTube explaining his campaign for workers, showing him wearing a hard hat while visiting construction sites and factories.

‘Mostly smoke and mirrors’

Tufts said the Conservative party is getting some support from labour leaders — especially trade unions — who hope to see members employed if the Conservatives follow up on their commitment to invest in home and road building.

“The trades have been flexible with their allegiance in recent years,” Tufts said. “The workers that are endorsing the Conservatives, especially federally, are really depending on huge infrastructure investments.”

The party said on its website it will put federal funding toward building homes and exclude “radical anti-car and anti-road” policies from infrastructure agreements. Tufts said these policies are attractive to some large construction unions.

But Tufts said he does not believe the Conservatives’ union endorsements are bellwethers of a larger shift rightward by the labour movement.

“They’re making a mountain out of a molehill,” he said, adding many union interests align more closely with other parties.

“The Conservatives are going to have to announce some kind of vision other than cuts and investment in infrastructure to keep those endorsements coming from the trades.”

Larry Savage, a labour researcher at Brock University, said union endorsements are “symbolically significant” for Conservatives.

“They fracture union opposition to Conservative politics and they provide pro-worker cover to politicians like Pierre Poilievre who have very mixed records on labour rights,” he said.

Savage said before the election call, it seemed Poilievre would earn an unprecedented number of endorsements from trade unions hoping he could deliver big infrastructure projects.

But Savage said that support may be wavering as the Liberals surge in the polls with new leader Mark Carney and the U.S. announced hostile trade policies.

“The Liberals are clearly in the driver's seat now, and a lot of the unions that may have endorsed Poilievre on the basis that he was likely to win are likely second-guessing,” Savage said. “Those anticipated union endorsements may never materialize.”

Savage said other unions, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the United Steelworkers and the Amalgamated Transit Union, are stalwart supporters of the NDP because of a shared outlook on labour. All three have endorsed the NDP and leader Jagmeet Singh.

“Those unions have long historical relationships with the NDP,” Savage said. “They're organizationally affiliated to the NDP and the leaders have strong personal and ideological ties.”

The Liberal Party of Canada does not yet boast union endorsements on its website.

It’s not clear just how endorsements affect election outcomes. Statistics Canada data shows that as of 2023 only about 30 per cent — less than one-third — of Canadian workers were union members.

Savage said not all union endorsements carry the same weight and there are questions as to how much a union endorsement will actually sway a member’s vote.

He and University of Saskatchewan researcher Daniel Westlake commissioned a poll of union members’ voting habits as part of a study that has yet to be published.

Outside of Quebec, 37 per cent of surveyed union members reported being “somewhat” or “much more likely” to vote for candidates endorsed by their unions. In Quebec, that portion was about 27 per cent.

“That’s still a significant number,” Savage said. “In ridings with a particularly high number of union members, that is certainly enough to change the outcome in a close race, so [endorsements] can have an impact.”

About half of poll respondents said they would not be swayed positively or negatively by union endorsements, according to Savage.

He added members who think their union does a good job representing them were “significantly more likely” to be swayed by union endorsements at the polls.

Savage said the poll results showed union members were slightly more likely than the average voter to vote for the NDP.

“The Conservatives have been making efforts to position themselves as more union friendly,” Savage said. “But I think it's mostly smoke and mirrors.”

Labour leaders call for NDP support

Meanwhile, labour organizations representing union interests are holding to their alignment with the NDP.

Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, said U.S. tariffs bring the threat of layoffs and higher prices.

“This is a very challenging time for everyone and a very uncertain time,” Bruske said. “People are very, very worried about the future of their jobs and their communities.”

She said proposed income tax cuts and GST cuts on homes would not serve workers as well as strengthening public services. Bruske is calling for policies that prioritize job creation, strengthen pharmacare and commit to building more housing.

She’s also calling for policies that address the rising cost of living, like a cap on staples foods in the grocery store — a policy the NDP announced last week.

Bruske said the Conservative party does offer some “goodies” like funding for union training programs. Still, Bruske said, the party’s support for right-to-work legislation is not in the best interest of workers.

“They want to actually gut the union's ability to work on behalf of their members,” she said. “That doesn't tell me that they’re a party that stands up for workers.”

BC Federation of Labour president Sussanne Skidmore bluntly voiced support for the NDP.

“We need to make sure we send another strong contingent of New Democrats to Ottawa,” she said in an email.

She pointed out Poilievre’s support for right-to-work laws and added that Poilievre has in the past voted against pharmacare and dental care bills. His voting record has become a popular line of attack from the other major parties.

“Conservatives have been cosplaying as pro-worker populists for as long as there have been conservatives,” she said. “But if you look at what they actually do in power, there's only one honest conclusion to draw: they only work for big corporations and the wealthy.”