Labour Councils 101
By Doug Nesbitt
1. Introduction and orientation
2. A brief history of labour councils in Canada and Quebec
3. Governance, structures, partnerships
4. Suggested readings
1. Introduction and orientation
Labour Councils have been around for over 150 years, with many dating back to the 1890s.
With the expansion of cities in the late 1800s and early 1900s, metal working and heavy
industry, rail and sea transportation, manufacturing of consumer goods, and the advent of
streetcars all created the conditions for common struggles over “bread and butter” issues, and
the development of a broader class consciousness and understanding of capitalism.
The first mass labour movement in Canada was in part led by the Toronto Trades Assembly
around the demand for the Nine Hour day. This was in 1872 when unions and strikes were
illegal, and the Toronto Printers’ Strike, which spearheaded the Nine Hour Movement in the
spring of 1872, was broken by the arrest of all the union leaders. The Nine Hour day was not
won, but a concession to labour was the passage of the Trade Union Act which legalized
unions, although it maintained a ban on picketing.
Despite organizational and jurisdictional battles over the decades, as well as state and employer
repression, labour councils have managed to survive in one form or another. Up until the 1940s,
most cities in Canada had labour councils affiliated to the Trades and Labor Congress. Labour
councils dealt with common issues, often supporting local unions on strike, and often running
independent labour candidates in elections. Labour councils were instrumental in bringing
together workers across unions to develop a labour politics independent of the two main parties
in the three decades before the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation was formed in 1932.
For a period of the 1940s and 1950s, many cities had two competing labour councils. One
would be affiliated to the TLC and comprise primarily the skilled trades and building trades
organized along craft lines. The other labour council would be affiliated to the Canadian
Congress of Labour, and comprise of the newer industrial unions built primarily during World
War Two in the mass production industries. A key distinction between the TLC and CCL was the
TLC considered itself non-partisan whereas the CCL had affiliated to the CCF.
Following the lead of the AFL and CIO’s 1955 merger in the United States, the TLC and CCL
merged in 1956 and went on to form the New Democratic Party in 1961 in collaboration with the
CCF. Labour councils were merged. You will find most labour councils will have two framed
charters. The first will be the original, often dating to the 1890s and it will be chartered by the
Trades and Labor Congress and the American Federation of Labour. The second will be dated
1956 and be chartered by the Canadian Labour Congress. Since this merger, there have been
no competing labour councils outside of Quebec.
Almost everywhere outside Quebec, CLC-affiliated labour councils are the only place where
rank and file union members can meet regularly and address issues and make decisions
relating to local workplace and community struggles. This is why Labour Councils remain an
important centre for labour activists, and have often played a significant role in developing and
rebuilding workers’ power. This is why LCs are also regarded as a prize to be held and even
controlled by entrenched, institutional forces, including the NDP and various unions.
2. A brief history of labour councils in Canada and Quebec
1871 Toronto Trades Assembly formed
1872 Nine Hours Movement; Toronto Printers’ Strike; Trade Union Act
1880s Knights of Labour and KoL Assemblies reach high point
1890s-1900s Labour councils formed across country, chartered by the American Federation of
Labour (AFL) and Trades and Labour Congress of Canada (TLC)
1919 One Big Union formed as rival to the TLC
1921 Confédération des travailleurs catholiques du Canada formed in Quebec
1926 All-Canadian Congress of Labour formed by Canadian Brotherhood of Railway
Employees, and Communist-led mine and lumber worker unions.
1930 Workers Unity League formed by the Communist Party of Canada
1935 Formation of Council (later Congress) of Industrial Organizations within AFL-
TLC. WUL liquidates into CIO.
1938 CIO expelled from AFL-TLC on anti-communist grounds.
1940 ACCL and CIO merge to form the Canadian Congress of Labour
1942 CCL endorses Cooperative Commonwealth Federation
1945-1948 Rand Formula and Industrial Relations and Disputes Investigations Act
1948-1953 “Red” unions expelled from CCL and TLC; Steelworkers launch raiding offensive
1956 Canadian Labour Congress formed with TLC-CCL merger
1958-1961 CLC and CCF create the New Democratic Party
1960 CTC reorganizes and secularizes as Confédération des syndicats nationaux
(CSN)
1969 Council (later Confederation) of Canadian Unions is formed
1971 Common Front in Quebec formed by CSN-CEU-FTQ (CLC)
1973 “Red” unions are allowed back into the CLC
1981 Fourteen Building Trades unions split from CLC over politics, international unions
1985-1992 Formation and consolidation of Canadian Auto Workers (CAW)
1986 United Way-CLC partnership
2000-2001 CAW expelled over SEIU raiding dispute
2017-2018 Unifor splits from CLC following Toronto raids on ATU 113 and UNITE HERE 75
3. Governance, structures, partnerships
Executive Committee
It is common for Executives to be elected for 2-year terms, with half the executive being elected
every year. This helps with institutional memory and avoids the problems of total turnover. The
EC can bring forward motions to the general meetings, and also authorize LC spending up to a
certain limit (based on bylaws). The EC is expected to keep the LC on track with tasks. Non-
voting members of the EC and LC often participate, including the CLC rep assigned to the
Labour Council.
Delegates
Delegates must be accredited by their local unions and their local unions must pay dues. While
many LCs can be very lax in these matters, lack of proper accreditation and missed dues
payments can be used to disqualify delegates from voting and running for the EC. Delegates
are also expected to sign in at every meeting, and it is important to review minutes to ensure
that attendance records are correct. Some LCs will create attendance requirements for those
who wish to run for the EC. Not all delegates are rank and file union members. It is common for
delegates to be a member of their local union’s executive. Depending on the union, this local
executive member could still be punching the clock at work, or they could be booked off work
through a union-management arrangement, meaning they are off work and serving the union.
Some delegates may also be staff for a local union, and not actually a rank and file member.
Standing Committees
Many LCs will have standing committees, meaning they are written into the bylaws. Common
standing committees include Education, Events, and Political Action. As part of the bylaws, the
executive and delegates are responsible for ensuring these committees exist and function.
Other committees
To get any kind of special project done, the LC will have to strike a committee. Many
committees serve a single goal and are dissolved afterwards. This is often the case with event
committees and flying squads. Some other committees serve longer-term functions, such as
research committees and health and safety committees. A healthy LC will have functioning
committees where delegates contribute. An unhealthy LC will have few committees and be
heavily dependent on the work of individuals and the EC. Committee decisions and financial
expenditures may require EC approval and/or ratification at general meetings. The parameters
of how committees function will be determined by the LC’s bylaws.
Political Action
Political Action is largely and sometimes exclusively defined within LCs as electoral campaigns,
whether municipal, provincial or federal. While LCs predictably endorse the NDP in provincial
and federal elections, this is not always the case. Furthermore, LCs have a lot more political
independence when it comes to municipal and school board elections. How LCs approach these
local elections can vary greatly. LCs often endorse what they might call “labour” candidates,
although LCs rarely put up their own candidates. LC endorsement of candidates is often based
on LC questionnaires distributed to candidates, or simply a strong relationship between the LC
and the candidate themselves. Because local elections are “non-partisan”, and do not have
party affiliations listed on ballots, LCs can often play a more prominent and influential role in
local elections than they do in provincial or federal elections. Hosting all-candidates debates is
one of the common activities of LCs in elections.
Events
LC activities will vary year to year, but there will always be several events that the LCs will
organize almost without fail. This predictable schedule establishes an annual routine of activity
that often sets the rhythm of activity and sets the short-term priorities for the LC.
March 8: International Women’s Day
April 28: Day of Mourning
May Day
June: Pride Parade
September: Labour Day
Banquet/Awards night
United Way
The United Way is a major charity whose affiliated social services are often integrated into the
municipal and provincial state. UW is financed through donations, often at union workplaces
where donations are automatically deducted from paychecks. Union members and volunteers
will often play an important role in the UW’s annual fundraising drive and smaller donation
drives, such as backpacks drives or Tampon Tuesday. The United Way and CLC established a
formal partnership in the mid-1980s, which is most clearly expressed inside LCs. LC delegates
can expect the UW’s “Labour Community Services” report at each meeting. If unionized, the
UW’s LCS staff person may even be an LC delegate or be elected to the EC. The UW’s history
with organized labour is controversial and a source of conflict. Many unions and labour activists
see UW as unprincipled and parasitic, while its labour supporters see UW as a valuable charity
that provides organized labour public credibility through participation.
Communications
All LCs need communications systems. List of affiliates and delegates are supposed to be kept
by the secretary and treasurer. These lists form the basis of internal communications to notify
affiliates, delegates and community observers. This will often be done through email. Minutes
and agendas should be distributed in advance of meetings to delegates. There may be timelines
associated with such communications in the bylaws. The CLC also provides training and
resources to LCs to establish and maintain websites, although these websites are not usually up
to date. Social media use varies between LCs, and is often the initiative of only a few people.
Active LCs may commonly use press releases to keep local journalists in the loop of local labour
issues. Annual or more frequent LC publications rarely exist any more, although regular e-
bulletins are not uncommon.
4. Suggested readings
Labour at the Bat: Manitoba’s new labour reforms
Doug Nesbitt and Scott Price, Rankandfile.ca, June 4 2024
Sexism and Winnipeg’s labour movement
Cole Rockarts, Rankandfile.ca, March 8 2021
Hamilton Hammers Trudeau at Labour Day
Rankandfile.ca, September 2 2019
Basia Sokal Resigns as Winnipeg Labour Council President
Emily Leedham, Rank and File Radio – Prairies Edition, March 22 2019
Labour council presidents across Canada #UniteAgainstRacism
Haseena Manek, Rankandfile.ca, June 4 2019
How we kicked Doug Ford out of Napanee
Lesley Jamieson, Rankandfile.ca, March 25 2019
Defeating Ford’s attacks: lessons from the fight against Hudak
Carolyn Egan and Michelle Robidoux, Rankandfile.ca, August 3 2018
Vancouver labour council has the wrong vision for the fall election
Lisa Descary, Rankandfile.ca, July 27 2018
Unifor-CLC split demands unity from below
Doug Nesbitt, Gerard Di Trolio, Evan Johnston, David Bush, Rankandfile.ca, January 17 2018
An interview with Basia Sokal, the new Winnipeg Labour Council president
James Wilt, Rankandfile.ca, March 10 2017
Rebuilding labour in a Tory heartland
Doug Nesbitt, Rankandfile.ca, April 14 2016
Shaking up Ottawa’s labour council, Part One
Doug Nesbitt, Rankandfile.ca, March 10 2016
Shaking up Ottawa’s labour council, Part Two
Doug Nesbitt, Rankandfile.ca, March 15 2016
In Manitoba, labour movement in the middle of the election cycle storm
Scott Price, Rankandfile.ca, October 18 2015
Fighting austerity in London, Ontario
Gerard Di Trolio, Rankandfile.ca, July 2 2015
What next for Take Back the CLC?
David Bush, Rankandfile.ca, August 28 2014
