03) LABOUR COUNCIL CHANGES COULD STIFLE GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM

By Sam Hammond

            Delegates to the 2011 Canadian Labour Congress convention adopted a new structure comprised of the Canadian Council, the Executive Committee and the National Campaign Committee.

            Since its 1956 founding from the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress and the Congress of Canadian Labour, the CLC has evolved from a delegate-driven body that elected all its Officers and Executives, to an affiliate governed body. The Canadian Council comprises 75 not elected at Convention, and 10 elected at Convention: the President, the Secretary Treasurer, two executive Vice‑Presidents, five Equity Vice‑Presidents and one Youth Vice‑President.

            This last and most drastic structural move completed a fifty-five year metamorphosis, from a leadership elected by a rank and file Convention, to a governing body of professional trade unionists selected outside of Convention and imposed on the delegate body. In this historic flip, the majority had become the instruments of the few.

            The major eruption in 2011 Convention came from the Labour Councils and the Labour Council Caucus, which were completely left out of the new model of governance. Despite the knee‑jerk genuflection to the importance of the grassroots Labour Councils, the "boots on the ground" of policy and organization, they were completely shut out of the Canadian Council and even worse, the National Campaign Committee. Nor was their role or connection to the National Campaign Committee defined. Understandingly this created major angst. But the Canadian Council was ready, and proposed and carried a resolution instructing the "Commission on Structural Review" to:

* review the structure, the role, the finances, the capacity and the effectiveness of labour councils and federations of labour;

* examine ways to encourage increased participation and activism by union members at the local and regional level by examining new ways for activists to become engaged and work together;

* explore ways to ensure that the CLC Constitution is enforced so that all affiliated unions shoulder their responsibility in the finance and capacity building of the federations and labour councils; and

* report regularly to the Executive Committee and Canadian Council on this review.

            The Canadian Council then established a "Labour Council Task Force" to report back to the Commission on Structural Review, which it did in September 2013. The five member "Task Force" was chaired by Paul Moist from CUPE. It met with local union presidents and Labour Council presidents in twelve communities between October 2012 and May 2013.

            The Report contains all the bland requisites to compliment the role and importance of Labour Councils, but ignores completely the financial obligations of the CLC, and stresses involvement in electoral politics. It talks of many things the Labour Councils should deal with, but leaves the onus on the Councils themselves. It defines problems, but tends to leave them hanging. It encourages involvement with labour's allies, and very close co‑operation with social action groups. This is of course positive.

            Out of the Report there flows a Resolution to the Canadian Council, which reliable sources say will go unchanged for adoption at the 2014 Convention. The Resolution has 11 recommendations. The first two are as follows:

            1. The CLC will develop a set of model by‑laws for labour councils, containing a preamble specifying the focus of labour councils as follows:

- engage in political action by participating in municipal, provincial and federal election campaigns;

- conduct ongoing political activism: addressing local issues, working with community groups, lobbying and advocacy of municipal councils, school boards, members of provincial legislatures and members of Parliament;

- participate in campaigns of the CLC, federations of labour and affiliates by providing support and coordination;

- engage in media relations and public communications campaigns to raise the profile of the labour movement in the community;

- communicate with affiliates and union members to provide information on important issues; and

- promote the identity of the labour movement by organizing events for designated days, such as Labour Day, Day of Mourning, International Women's Day, National Aboriginal Day, December 6.

            Any variation of the model by‑laws must be approved by the President of the Congress.

            2. The CLC will convene an annual meeting of local union ranking officers and designated affiliate staff in each labour council region to:

- develop a strategic plan with goals and objectives for the community;

- elect a labour council executive from the affiliate representatives; the term of office for the executive will be three years; and

- create working groups and committees which will involve affiliates; these could include strike and bargaining support, community outreach, municipal election campaign, media relations, and union communications and campaigns.

            The other nine points cover education and training, secure on‑line sites for local union and Labour Council officers, develop and maintain a data‑base, effective communication strategies, guidelines for retiree and community groups, involvement of CURC and retiree chapters of local unions , young worker involvement and on‑line financial reporting.

            What are the big changes? The set of model by‑laws are unknown at this time, but can only be amended with the permission of the CLC President. Veto power over by‑laws which are as yet unknown and will be written without consultation. Governance by decree.

            The biggest change is in Section 2. The CLC, Local Union ranking officers and designated affiliate staff (which staff and designated by whom?) will meet in each region to elect an executive for three years, create working groups and committees and develop a strategic plan. 

            Whatever happened to delegates? If they still exist, they will have an executive, committees and working groups provided for them by Local Union officers and designated staff (janitors? CLC Staff Reps?) who they may never see again for three years. The Labour Councils will no longer be delegate-driven bodies, and we do not even know if they will have elected delegates.

            The proposed role of the Labour Councils will be transmission belts for campaigns decided at higher levels of the bureaucratized CLC. The Resolution destroys the last vestiges of ground level creativity and decision making. The result will be a contrived and controlled local bureaucracy, a mirror image of the higher unelected bodies created in 2011, which will stifle the last traces of local autonomy, input and activism by the rank and file.

            What is in the minds of the Canadian Council? Is there no moral commitment to democracy? Is it fear of the membership or contempt that devises the stratagem of "we know what's best"? Is it necessary to control everything from the top? Is this the way to build strong community roots? Did anyone consider involving a delegation from every Labour Council to develop proposals for their own governance, and request finances and services from the Canadian Council? That would certainly weld unity and restore confidence. The present Resolution will not.

(The above article is from the May 1-15, 2014, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading socialist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 706 Clark Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3J1.)