Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Cooperation Is Not Weakness

CLAC’s approach is built on constructive relationships, but when employers fail to uphold their responsibilities, we do what unions are meant to do: advocate for workers

By Susan Siemens, Regional Director, Cambridge Member Centre

At CLAC, one of the criticisms we hear most often is that we are “too cooperative,” “too nice,” or “too cozy with management.” As a labour relations representative working largely in healthcare, I can say this plainly: that criticism does not reflect the work I do every day.

Yes, we believe in collaboration. We believe in respectful labour relations. We believe problems are usually best solved through honest conversations, follow-through, and a shared commitment to making workplaces better. But cooperation is not the same thing as passivity, so when employers do not hold up their end of the relationship, we do what unions are supposed to do: we advocate for our members.

That advocacy often begins long before a grievance is filed.

In my work, I spend a great deal of time trying to resolve issues informally. That can look like phone calls, emails, labour-management meetings, follow-ups, and repeated attempts to get movement on concerns that should never have dragged on in the first place.

We do this because formal disputes are not usually the best first step. Grievances and arbitration have an important place, but they take time, they cost energy and member resources. Most importantly, in workplaces already dealing with stress, burnout, and staffing pressures, conflict can affect the human relationships people rely on every day.

Our members deserve workplaces that are functional, respectful, and stable. As a representative, I am always aware that I do not work where my members work. They are the ones who have to return the next day, work the next shift, and navigate the atmosphere created by unresolved conflict. So no, we do not take grievances lightly.

But let’s be clear: when an employer repeatedly ignores concerns, delays action, or offers lip service instead of meaningful solutions, that is not collaboration. When a union raises issues through every informal channel available and gets nowhere, continuing to “be nice” is not a strategy. At that point, filing grievances is not a sign that cooperation failed because the union was unreasonable. It is often the result of an employer refusing to engage seriously with the relationship.

I have seen this firsthand in one workplace I represent, where my grievance numbers have climbed to around 50 in the last year alone. And none of these are flashy discipline cases or dramatic headline issues. They are payroll and administrative failures that deeply affect people’s lives: delays in pay, errors in records, problems that interfere with access to maternity leave, Employment Insurance, or prescription coverage. These may sound like paperwork issues on the surface, but they are not. They are issues that affect whether someone can pay their bills, support their family, or get the medication they need.

When problems like that keep happening, and when repeated efforts to fix them informally lead nowhere, a grievance is not overreacting. It is accountability.

This is the nuance that often gets lost in public criticism of our model. We do try to be cooperative and preserve relationships because we believe there is value in solving problems without turning every issue into a fight. However, cooperation only works when both sides are participating. A union cannot have a productive labour relationship on its own. We can show up to the table every time, but we cannot be the only ones there.

If you are a CLAC member, know this: your union’s willingness to cooperate should never be mistaken for weakness.

If you are considering joining CLAC but have heard that we are “too friendly” with employers, understand what that really means: we are committed to constructive relationships because workers benefit when workplaces function well.

But when cooperation is met with indifference, delay, or disrespect, we act.

We are always ready to show up to the party, but not by ourselves.

Cooperation Is Not Weakness

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