La fusion CMTC - CCT The TLC—CCL Merger

Sommaire

Dans cet article l'auteur précise exactement en quoi consiste la fusion des centrales ouvrières et à quel palier elle s'est effectuée.

Summary

What is exactly the meaning of the merger between the TLC and the CCL and which are its characteristics?

Contrary to what is commonly believed by those who are not well acquainted with the labour movement, the creation of the CLC does not bring necessarily the unification of all bodies existing formerly inside the CCL and the TLC. A complete merger would have involved it.

In fact, the Toronto convention in 1956 realized the merger of two bodies at the superior level and it was also decided that within two years, i.e. before 1958, where there is a duplication of provincial or regional Councils, they will merge into a unique organization.

If we consider the professionnal or the industrial level, nothing has been changed. Each local and each union keeps on existing as before with the same jurisdiction. The only thing is that they are invited to comply with no-raiding agreements they have freely accepted.

The Merger does not mean a labour monopoly. The two-thirds of the Canadian workers are not yet unionized. Many labor organizations also remain out of the CLC. They are: the CCCL with its 100,000 members recruited in the province of Quebec; some unions dominated by communist leadership (United Electrical Workers, International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers) which have around 60,000 members; the National Council of Canadian Labour with its 5,000 members in Ontario; some groups of Telephone workers with around 30,000 members; the United Mines Workers, with 24,000 members. At the moment of the merger, the CLC had a membership of 1,018,000 and around 300,000 workers were belinging to other unions. Rut since, the One Big Union and some Railways Brotherhood joined the CLC. If we consider the degree of autonomy claimed by each union in its internal organization, the expression "big labour monopoly" is purely a produce of imagination.

The Merger brought the acceptance of a new principle very important for the safeguard of the freedom of association. Formerly, according to the doctrine of the AFL-TLC, each union was enjoying the right of exclusive jurisdiction in a professional or industrial sector for all the country. From now on, jurisdictional dualism is recognized. This make possible the affiliation of the CCCL to the CLC.

The unification of organized labour forces in Canada is the expression of a deep feeling among the workers as well as it follows a general movement which is found in all social organizations of the world.

The Canadian labour movement becomes more and more well equipped to defend the interests of the workers and play a positive role in the development of our country.