Disinformation swirls after viral showdown between Trudeau and Sault steelworker

Days after a Sault Ste. Marie steelworker verbally locked horns with Canada's prime minister at a meet-and-greet photo op, video of the encounter has gone viral and is making headlines around the world — and bringing some disinformation with it.

Rumours about the worker have swirled in the days since his encounter with Justin Trudeau at Algoma Steel, with some on social media suggesting he is actually a Conservative plant or is lying about the 40 per cent tax rate he told the PM he pays. 

Trudeau was in the Sault on Thursday and Friday for a series of staged photo ops and a barbecue fundraiser.

During his last event in the city on Friday afternoon, Trudeau attended behind the gate at Algoma Steel's West Street entrance to shake hands and speak to employees about the new trade tariffs his government recently put in place against Chinese steel dumping.

After shaking hands with company executives and office staff, Trudeau made a beeline to speak with some workers on a shift change. He shook hands with a few employees before starting a conversation with a man wearing a red United Steelworkers 2251 T-shirt, who was on his way to start his shift.

The worker declined to shake Trudeau's hand — then challenged him on why he pays 40 per cent in income tax and does not have a family doctor.

"I think you're only here for another year," the man told the prime minister. "We won't see you around probably in another year."

When Trudeau said his government is "going to invest in you and your job," the man cut him off.

"I don't believe you for a second," he said.

CBC finally posts the footage of the Algoma steel worker confronting Trudeau... 2 days after their initial story!https://t.co/TwtdoYcI5q pic.twitter.com/JlhbjFSSq7

— cbcwatcher (@cbcwatcher) September 1, 2024

Multiple public Facebook posts have identified the local steelworker, and that person's Facebook profile photo appears to match the man in the video. However, SooToday has not been able to independently confirm it is the same person. We reached out to the worker for comment on Sunday and Monday but did not receive a reply.

Not surprisingly, the worker's identity has triggered plenty of chatter on social media, with some insisting he is not actually a steelworker — but a Conservative plant posing as a steelworker. One of the people accused of being the so-called plant is Jeff Ballingall, founder of Ontario Proud and president of Mobilize Media Group.

Reached on Monday by SooToday, Ballingall denied the rumours, saying he doesn't see the resemblance between himself and the man in the video.

"Just two handsome dudes," he said, via email.

Ballingall said he joins thousands of Canadians in applauding the steelworker for standing up to the prime minister, and said the spread of misinformation by Trudeau Twitter supporters shows how desperate the Liberals have become.

"They are willing to lie to silence the voice of a worker on Labour Day weekend because he was critical of Trudeau," said Ballingall. "Canada is broken. Trudeau broke it. We need an election ASAP."

Balllingall also noted the man in the video is not his employee James Oakley, who has also been misidentified on social media.

"My employee doesn't want to talk. It’s not him and we won’t be commenting further," he said.

Mike Da Prat, president of USW Local 2251, said he does not personally know the worker in the video — who would have had to clear security to be in the area of the plant where he was approached by Trudeau.

"I don't personally know the Individual, but there is good probability he is a 2251 member," Da Prat told SooToday.

Numerous social media users have also criticized the worker for telling Trudeau he pays 40 per cent in income taxes.

"There is a very specific subset of people who will just accept any made up number that a conservative says," said the prolific YouTube and TikTok creator who goes by the stage name Steve Boots, in one of a number of videos concerning the exchange.

He continued, sarcastically: "They see a guy who claims he pays 40 per cent in taxes and they think 'yah, he does, obviously."

GlassDoor.com, a web site that tracks salary ranges within companies and job fields, says a steelworker in Canada can expect to make a base pay of between $44,000 and $74,000 per year, with $57,000 as the average base pay.

That number would not put a worker within the tax bracket that would be expected to pay a 40 per cent income tax rate. However, what many may not consider is the additional remuneration a steelworker can expect, especially when it comes to profit sharing.

In 2022, Algoma Steel paid out a record total of $151-million in profit-sharing payouts to its workers, which was reported at the time to work out to about $56,000 per employee. Last year, the total payout was about $33 million. That is over and above what a worker receives as their base salary.

Speaking generally, Da Prat confirmed it is very possible for a steelworker at Algoma to be within that 40 per cent tax bracket in certain years.

"Both overtime and contracting out are rampant," said Da Prat. "Further, profit sharing absolutely contributes to the gross wage."

When Trudeau asked the worker on Friday if anyone he knew has accessed the government's new dental care program, the worker said he pays for part of his own dental bills.

Some on social media, including Boots, have claimed the worker was being disingenuous because a dental plan is part of the collective agreement between the steelworkers and employer.

Da Prat noted the union's dental benefits are costed against its wage package and the steelworkers pay a top up for that coverage.

"It would appear that his frustration stems from the fact that he does not qualify for the federal dental benefit program and in spite of the 40 percent tax he pays he also has to pay a top up fee for dental benefits that those that qualify for the plan do not," Da Prat said. "Therefore it is not a universal dental benefit plan."

Some have criticized the worker for confronting the prime minister about his lack of a family doctor, which is a provincial responsibility. But Da Prat said it was a valid complaint.

"The fact that the federal government, who provide funding to the provinces for health care, do not require the provinces to adhere to accessing alternatives to the doctor shortage is frustrating," he said.

Reached for comment about the disinformation in his videos, Boots said the point he was trying to make was that the worker was repeating common Conservative talking points.

"I would say that I regret suggesting what he said was a lie, because I don't think it was, as that suggests it was wilful deception," said Boots. "I think he has valid frustrations, but much of what he's saying are common talking points that have been refuted again and again."