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Canadian Congress Update
Issue 6 - 2009
The BAC Canadian Congress met in Vancouver, British Columbia on October 28th. A number of guest speakers brought Congress delegates up-to-date on important labour issues across the country.
Wayne Peppard, Executive Director of the British Columbia and Yukon Territory Building and Construction Trades Council, outlined the Council’s efforts to thwart the anti-labour initiatives of the Province’s right-wing, Liberal government. Peppard echoed the sentiments of speakers at previous BAC meetings when he spoke to the need for BAC members to get involved at all levels of politics.
Political action was also on the mind of Raj Chouhan, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Burnaby-Edmonds, and a member of the labour-friendly New Democratic Party (NDP), who spoke about the effectiveness of trade union- and member-driven campaigns in electing pro-worker candidates. Chouhan’s long history of activism in the labour and human rights fields began almost immediately upon his arrival in Canada from his native India. His experience has served him well in his role as the Official Opposition Labour Critic.
The final speaker, Andrew Dawson, Atlantic Canadian Representative for the Canadian Office of the Construction and Building Trades Council, addressed the very serious threat that the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) presents to all building trades’ affiliates in Canada. CLAC is a multi-sector, multi-craft organization that represents an increasing number of workers across Canada.
CLAC was founded in Canada in 1952 (in the Sarnia area of the Province of Ontario) by immigrants affiliated with the Christian Reform Church. Its early growth was slow due to the difficulty it had in gaining legal status as a trade union because of its principles and practices. However, since a 1963 Supreme Court of Ontario Decision gave CLAC its first certification, its membership has grown significantly. In 2006, CLAC had 38,000 members according to Human Resources and Skills Development Canada figures. CLAC now claims to have 45,000 members.
While traditionally limited to the Western Provinces and Ontario, Dawson cautioned delegates about the inroads CLAC is making throughout the rest of the country, with a particular focus on Atlantic Canada. Their pro-employer, undemocratic hierarchy, conservative political alignment, wall-to-wall agreements, and lowering of wages and working conditions are real threats to all legitimate unions and the well-being of all skilled workers.
In closing, Dawson implored delegates to be vigilant for signs of CLAC and to educate their members on the dangers of this “alternative union.” Congress Co-Chair and Local 1 Saskatchewan President Clarence Medernach urges all members in Canada to alert their Local Union principal officer immediately if they are approached by CLAC representatives or have any knowledge of CLAC activities in their areas.
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