Labour Councils and the Canadian Labour Congress

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) was formed in 1956 when the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada (TLC), representing the skilled trades, amalgamated with the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL), representing industrial workers. The CLC represents three million workers in Canada affiliated through their unions. The CLC prairie regional office in Regina delivers national political and educational programs, and assists the provincial federations of labour and the local district labour councils with their activities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Saskatchewan currently has seven chartered labour councils: Regina and District Labour Council (chartered 1907), Saskatoon DLC (1912), Moose Jaw DLC (1906), North Battleford DLC, Prince Albert DLC, Weyburn DLC, and Humboldt DLC. There are as well two active labour committees: Yorkton and District Labour Committee, and Estevan Labour Committee. Once a committee has approximately 2,000 members from five different affiliates unions, the CLC can charter it. These labour councils and committees play an important role in the community. Besides having an interest in municipal politics, these organizations enlighten their respective communities on issues that affect working people; some issues are of a national nature, such as Employment Insurance and national childcare programs, while others are more regional in nature, such as closure of a plant and loss of local jobs. Many councils are very active in the community by holding Labour Day picnics, May Day events, seniors suppers and other events, which often include the less fortunate and the underemployed members of the community.

Rick Byrne, Bob Ivanochko