Thursday, June 25, 2026

The Courage to Collaborate

What some mistake for weakness is actually the power to build something better

By Ian DeWaard, Manitoba and Ontario Director

The toughest negotiators I’ve known don’t usually pound the table, throw chairs, or storm out of the room when an impasse is reached. But the world we live in often confuses volume with strength, and mistakes bravado for courage. In my time at CLAC, I’ve encountered many negotiators (both employer and union side) who carry on as if tough-guy talk and outrageous outbursts are the surest path to victory.

When labour relations are carried on in this kind of way, it reveals a lot about the person (or the organization). An overly combative approach to deal-making says that I presume my opponent is my enemy, that their motives are always suspect, and that only I and my team have the answers to what my side needs most. It leads to zero-sum bargaining and a winner-take-all approach to every conflict.

Pioneering a Better Way

CLAC has been pioneering a better way to solve age-old labour problems for nearly 75 years. It’s an approach that aims for just conditions, mutual respect, and shared gains, underscored by a belief that work can be good and that all people deserve dignified treatment. But it doesn’t mean we’re naïve to the fact that humans, especially when wielding the power that comes with authority and wealth, can put selfish interests before the common good of the community. So, the daily work of our union is also about holding individuals and organizations accountable when power is misused.

When put succinctly, CLAC’s principles (see CLAC’s constitution for the full list) are described as valuing respect and cooperation. With those beliefs serving as our north star, we work hard to establish collaboration as the norm for the workplace.

In response, critics accuse CLAC of being soft. To them, the workplace is merely a contest between owners and workers trying to maximize earnings. They see the workplace as a constant clash where the oppressed must exact their due from the oppressor. When labour-management relations are reduced to this type of contest, the workplace becomes a battleground where conflict is the only path to victory.

But living in a war zone is not sustainable for most of us. Humans don’t thrive in a constant state of distress.

Collaboration, by contrast, demands discipline and the courage to be accountable, while also holding others to account. It is the best route to durable agreements and healthier workplaces.

Work as Purposeful

CLAC sees work as more than a transaction. Work is purposeful. It allows people to contribute something meaningful, whether that’s caring for a patient, educating students, working the deli counter, or building a bridge. It lets us support families, grow our skills, and exercise creativity.

When negotiations are guided by the view that work has purpose, “How much can I make?” becomes instead, “What are we building together?”

Wages link to skill ladders, scheduling respects family life, and training prepares members for future tools. Purpose aligns the goals of employers and workers because both sides need engaged, capable, fairly rewarded teams. Collaboration connects those dots.

4 Ways Collaboration Builds Stronger Workplaces

The Workplace as a Community – Healthy communities run on trust, built through consistent, transparent behaviour. Collaborative labour relations create that trust. Information about overtime, injuries, vacancies, and finances flows freely so that both sides can target solutions. Collaboration doesn’t replace hard bargaining; it makes it smarter. It ensures people remain at the centre and that ideals become practical action.
Agency and Codetermination – Workers should never be bystanders in their own livelihoods. Collaboration ensures agency by embedding structured influence over decisions that shape work. That might mean joint committees on scheduling or safety, pilot projects with feedback loops, or contract language requiring regular evidence-based reviews. When workers help design systems, compliance becomes commitment. The payoff: fewer grievances, lower turnover, and more time and resources to invest in safety, pay, and benefits.
Collaboration Is Not Capitulation – Being collaborative doesn’t mean lowering standards or avoiding confrontation. It means being firm on nonnegotiables such as a living wage, safety, and just treatment while remaining open and creative about how to achieve them. Collaboration raises the bar for accountability. If commitments are missed, collaborative agreements require quick problem-solving. If an employer claims financial limits, collaboration demands data, not blind trust. This approach is principled and positive, but never passive.
Collaboration Delivers Real Results – When collaboration shapes collective agreements, outcomes improve across the board:

fewer grievances thanks to clearer contract language and shared processes;
safer workplaces as joint committees identify and address hazards early;
higher retention because schedules, training, and recognition reflect people’s real lives;
more resilient agreements with mechanisms like wage reopeners, joint reviews, and pilot projects that adapt to change without conflict; and
stronger total compensation as productivity gains from lower turnover and fewer disputes are shared, not lost.

Collaboration, as CLAC practices it, is not a slogan or a mood. It’s a disciplined method grounded in purpose, community, and shared accountability. When we start from the view that work is meaningful, that workplaces are communities, and that people have the right and responsibility to shape the decisions that affect them, collaboration is the path to something better.

Collaboration insists on clarity, data, and follow-through, and as a result, produces safer jobs, better wages, and more resilient agreements. Collaboration may not always be the fastest, but it will always get us farther. And it should never be mistaken for weakness.

The Courage to Collaborate

4 Ways Collaboration Builds Stronger Workplaces

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