“When these people from Europe came to
Canada, they were used to a similar type
of trade unionism. However, they found
themselves in a system in which there is
one union to a workplace based on the
plurality of votes,” Heinen said.
And this caused a stir. Workers wanted to
be represented by a union that reflected
their own ideologies and beliefs about
what work is and what the relationship be-
tween the employer and employee should
be. This rejection of the norm planted the
seeds for the arrival of independent unions
like CLAC.
CLAC is the nation’s largest independent,
“In the last 10 to 15 years, we have been building at least half of the oil sands
construction projects.” David Prentice, Provincial Director (B.C.)
16 business elite canada
H
MARCH 2017
