Christian Labour Association of Canada
Trade union
The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) is a Canadian independent trade union founded in 1952 and headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario. It represents workers in a variety of sectors, including construction, healthcare, transportation, manufacturing, education, social services, hospitality, retail, and emergency services.
The organization traces its origins to a group of primarily Dutch immigrants who settled in Canada after the Second World War and sought a labour organization based on Christian social principles and freedom of association. Although CLAC was founded on Christian principles, membership is open to workers regardless of religious affiliation.
As of 2015, CLAC reported approximately 65,986 members. The union is not affiliated with the Canadian Labour Congress and has been affiliated with the World Organization of Workers since 2012.
CLAC has been the subject of debate within the Canadian labour movement. Academic researchers have characterized the organization as an example of accommodationist or company-oriented unionism, while labour relations boards in several Canadian jurisdictions have certified CLAC bargaining units and recognized the organization as an independent trade union.
History
Origins and founding
The Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC) was founded on 20 February 1952 by a group of primarily Dutch immigrant workers who had settled in Canada following the Second World War. The organization was influenced by European Christian labour traditions, particularly those associated with the Dutch labour movement, and sought to promote labour relations based on principles of social justice, human dignity, stewardship, and freedom of association.
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This entry incorporates text from “Christian Labour Association of Canada” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.