Needs No Introduction

In episode seven, we are pleased to feature executive director of the Workers’ Action Centre, Deena Ladd. In her keynote address for the 33rd annual Labour Fair at Toronto’s George Brown College, No One Left Behind: Building a Workers’ First Emergency Response to the Tariff Crisis that Unites Us, Ladd discusses the current trade war, the dangers facing workers and a solidarity-driven plan that puts workers first. Reflecting on what’s needed in a workers’ first approach to the tariff crisis, Ladd says: “Our communities are already in trouble. And we know that the tariffs imposed are gonna have a ripple impact, far worse than the pandemic's… We desperately need a government strategy that has learned from these past economic crises to ensure that no one gets left behind. ..To make sure that when you are providing supports, that they first of all have to be adequate. That they're not institutionalizing poverty. That they're accessible … And that they're structured in a way that doesn't unintentionally punish peop