Blair Redlin

Blair Redlin has worked on trade issues for over 30 years, both in the Canadian labour movement and the BC provincial government. Blair began working as a researcher for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) in the late 1980s. Flowing from that, he became co-chair of the Vancouver Coalition Against Free Trade at the time of the first Canada/U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In 1993, Blair was National Campaigns Coordinator in the National President’s office of CUPE, which led him to become involved with the Action Canada Network and its efforts to challenge the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In 1994, he joined the B.C. public service as an Assistant Deputy Minister and eventually (acting) Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Employment and Investment which, amongst other things, had lead responsibility for trade issues. The Multilateral Agreement on Investment, interprovincial trade agreements and the World Trade Organization (WTO) were all priorities at that time. Blair returned to CUPE staff in 2003 and subsequently became co-chair of the national Trade Justice Network which was focused on the Canada/E.U. trade agreement (CETA) and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Interview Summary
In this interview, Blair Redlin describes his early involvement with anti-free trade activism in British Columbia, joining the Coalition Against Free Trade in 1987 in Vancouver, becoming co-chair along with Jean Swanson and Sue Vohanka. The coalition brought together a diverse group of community, social and union organizations seeking to stop the proposed Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA). He describes organizing and lobbying tactics and how this work connected to the national anti-free trade movement through the Pro-Canada Network. Blair then turns his attention to the 1990s and 2000s, describing how new multinational trade agreements such as NAFTA and the (eventually defeated) Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) led to the creation of new international networks of activists seeking to stop the most harmful aspects of these trade arrangements. The interview ends with a conversation about contemporary trade politics in Canada and other advanced industrialized countries, exploring how different sides of the political spectrum have responded to free trade deals.