Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Alberta NDP Leadership Candidate Diminishes the Work of CLAC Members

Edmonton—Alberta NDP MLA Heather Sweet recently introduced a motion that, on its surface, offers accolades for the role unions play in attaining and protecting a robust standard of living for all Albertans. This is a welcome acknowledgement that CLAC endorses without reservation.

However, Ms. Sweet’s motion goes on to suggest that “the defining feature of a union is a robust system of internal democracy.” Surely the defining feature of any union should be the effective representation of its members’ interests? That is certainly CLAC's position. It is remarkable that the authors of the proposed motion did not share this core value.

Gil McGowan, an NDP leadership candidate who is also president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL), was quick to weaponize this motion, falsely accusing CLAC of not adhering to “democratic principles.”

For the record, CLAC is a wholly democratic organization representing 60,000 Canadian workers in multiple sectors. In Alberta, we are your grocery clerks, caregivers, manufacturing, construction, and pipeline workers. Our national board and local boards are all elected by our members. Our collective agreements are voted on and ratified by the membership. CLAC wins the right to represent our members the same way as every other labour organization in Canada, including those belonging to the AFL. It is disappointing that Mr. McGowan would seek to diminish the work of CLAC members because they are not members of the traditional house of labour.

CLAC was founded on the values of respect, dignity, and fairness, and we are committed to building better workplaces, better communities, and better lives.

Alberta NDP Leadership Candidate Diminishes the Work of CLAC Members

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