By Jim Selby, AFL Staff

The Canadian labour movement has long been critical of the Christian Labour Association of Canada (CLAC). Now, the Alberta labour movement has decided to do something about it.

A coalition of trade unions is sponsoring a campaign to expose the real nature of CLAC. The main criticisms of CLAC include the organization’s reluctance to keep up to industry standards for wages and benefits, its failure to use strikes and other traditional labour strengths to get the best possible results for workers, and its poor track record for protecting workers’ rights through the grievance and arbitration process.

Adrien Graci, a former union representative for the United Steelworkers in Ontario and a recent employee of the Alberta Labour Relations Board, is organizing the CLAC campaign.

The immediate target will be current CLAC members – who will be approached during the open period of their contracts. According to Graci, Alberta is one of CLAC’s strongholds, and therefore a natural starting point for the labour campaign. "They have about 6,000 members in Alberta," notes Graci, "out of a total Canadian membership of about 25,000."

The biggest CLAC component in Alberta is their 2,000 employees of Save-on-Foods. Save-on-Foods is owned by British Columbia ‘entrepreneur’ and religious fundamentalist Jim Pattison. Another Pattison company, construction giant Ledcor, is another source of CLAC membership.

According to Graci, CLAC has also penetrated the health care field through the nursing home chain, Extendicare.

The problem, according to labour representatives, is that CLAC undermines other workers and other unions in the industries in which they have a presence. "CLAC construction contracts typically pay $3.00 to $4.00 an hour less than regular building trade union contracts," observes Graci. "That wage differential gives their companies an edge in bidding on projects – but the edge is taken out of workers’ pockets. It isn’t fair to their members or to other unions’ members."

Graci is also skeptical about the health of union democracy within CLAC. "They appear to be less consultative and less inclusive than most labour organizations," said Graci.

Adrien sees his job in very straightforward terms. "All I really need is as much contact with CLAC members as possible," he says. "The facts speak for themselves, and in this case, educating working people will free them." Graci urges anyone who is a member of CLAC, or who knows CLAC members, to contact him at 780-408-2323.