Christian Labour Association of Canada; Competing From the Outside

Abstract

<p>The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) is a relatively small but growing independent Canadian labour union that has attracted a great deal of criticism from many mainstream unions. CLAC’s basis in Christian principles, which emphasize cooperation and reconciliation over conflict and reject the socialist notion of class struggle, have led the organization to develop a unique approach to labour relations that puts it at odds with traditional Canadian unions and labour organizations. This approach also seems to have contributed to strong membership growth over a period when the membership of other unions was stagnant or in decline.</p> <p>This paper attempts to provide some insights on CLAC’s competitiveness by squaring its alternative approach to labour relations with its strong growth relative to other unions. The findings of this paper build on existing research and literature on CLAC’s background and philosophical underpinnings and are based heavily on firsthand interviews with workers and union executives. The key findings of this paper are that CLAC’s competitiveness is strongly related to its conciliatory brand of labour relations, its organizational structure, rooted in its founding role as a religiously based cultural institution, and its position on the outside of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) umbrella. Another important conclusion is that the competitiveness of unions is heavily influenced by its ability to align its values and organizational culture with the values and identities of workers and the specific regulatory and economic environment in which they work.</p>