The Choice Is Yours—Why CLAC Remains Politically Nonpartisan

The official end of summer has passed, and talk of the impending federal election fills the airwaves. Election campaigns always generate their share of debate, discussion, elation, and disappointment. Interest groups of all political stripes push their partisan agenda in ads designed to persuade you that a particular political party is worthy of your support.

Unions, of course, have traditionally come out in support of one political party. Union members have been encouraged to vote as a block in support of the party that their union favours. Before political contribution spending limits were enacted by some provincial governments in 2017, unions contributed large sums of members’ dues to political candidates and campaigns. 

CLAC has chosen a different path, the path of political nonpartisanship. This means that CLAC does not make contributions to political campaigns or encourage its members to vote for a preferred political party. Instead, we recognize and respect your right to support the political party of your choice—and not use your dues to make that choice for you.

By choosing to be nonpartisan, CLAC is also freed from the obligation to follow a single political ideology, platform, or public policy agenda. As a result, we are able to work freely with the government of the day and politicians from all parties on public policies that matter to our membership.

CLAC will continue to advocate strongly for issues that matter to you. Like fair and open tendering. More funding and support for front-line healthcare workers. Increased funding for skills training. Better health and safety in the workplace.

Why should CLAC be nonpartisan? Because a union should always respect and represent the political diversity of its membership. And that can only happen when a union does not use members’ dues to play political favourites.