Canadian Congress of Labour
Encyclopedia
The Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL) was founded in 1940 and merged with Trades and Labour Congress of Canada
(TLC) to form the Canadian Labour Congress
(CLC) in 1956.
(CIO) supporters were expelled from the TLC, due to the demands of the American-based American Federation of Labor
(AFL). This split had to do with the CIO unionizing industrial trades
, and the AFL organizing craft trades
. The expelled unions included the Steel Workers Organizing Committee
, now called the United Steelworkers
(USW); United Auto Workers of America
, now the Canadian Auto Workers
(CAW); and the United Mine Workers
(UMWA). They negotiated with the All-Canadian Congress of Labour
and founded the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1940 to rival the TLC. At its founding, it had 100,000 members, and grew to 250,000 by 1943.
The Congress' founding executive included Aaron Mosher (Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Employees), Silby Barrett, Sol Spivak, and Charles Millard
(Steelworkers). They were all members of the social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
(CCF) political party. They were united in the belief that labour should be involved in politics.
Trades and Labour Congress of Canada
The Trades and Labour Congress of Canada was a Canada-wide central federation of trade unions from 1883 to 1956. It was founded at the initiative of the Toronto Trades and Labour Council and the Knights of Labor...
(TLC) to form the Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Labour Congress
The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in English Canada to which most Canadian labour unions are affiliated.- Formation :...
(CLC) in 1956.
Founding
In 1939, the Congress of Industrial OrganizationsCongress of Industrial Organizations
The Congress of Industrial Organizations, or CIO, proposed by John L. Lewis in 1932, was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 required union leaders to swear that they were not...
(CIO) supporters were expelled from the TLC, due to the demands of the American-based American Federation of Labor
American Federation of Labor
The American Federation of Labor was one of the first federations of labor unions in the United States. It was founded in 1886 by an alliance of craft unions disaffected from the Knights of Labor, a national labor association. Samuel Gompers was elected president of the Federation at its...
(AFL). This split had to do with the CIO unionizing industrial trades
Industrial unionism
Industrial unionism is a labor union organizing method through which all workers in the same industry are organized into the same union—regardless of skill or trade—thus giving workers in one industry, or in all industries, more leverage in bargaining and in strike situations...
, and the AFL organizing craft trades
Craft unionism
Craft unionism refers to organizing a union in a manner that seeks to unify workers in a particular industry along the lines of the particular craft or trade that they work in by class or skill level...
. The expelled unions included the Steel Workers Organizing Committee
Steel Workers Organizing Committee
The Steel Workers Organizing Committee was one of two precursor labor organizations to the United Steelworkers. It was formed by the CIO in 1936. It disbanded in 1942 to become the United Steel Workers of America....
, now called the United Steelworkers
United Steelworkers
The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union is the largest industrial labor union in North America, with 705,000 members. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, U.S., the United Steelworkers represents workers in the United...
(USW); United Auto Workers of America
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
, now the Canadian Auto Workers
Canadian Auto Workers
The Canadian Auto Workers is one of Canada's largest and highest profile social unions. While rooted in Ontario's large auto plants of Windsor, Brampton, Oakville, St...
(CAW); and the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
(UMWA). They negotiated with the All-Canadian Congress of Labour
All-Canadian Congress of Labour
The All-Canadian Congress of Labour was a Canadian national labour confederation, which existed from 1926 to 1940.It was founded in 1926 as a rival to the Trades and Labour Congress. It was headed by Aaron Roland Mosher. It included remnants of the One Big Union and had over 40,000 members. The...
and founded the Canadian Congress of Labour in 1940 to rival the TLC. At its founding, it had 100,000 members, and grew to 250,000 by 1943.
The Congress' founding executive included Aaron Mosher (Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Employees), Silby Barrett, Sol Spivak, and Charles Millard
Charles Millard
Charles Hibbert Millard was a Canadian trade union activist and politician.-Early life:He was born in St...
(Steelworkers). They were all members of the social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
Co-operative Commonwealth Federation
The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation was a Canadian political party founded in 1932 in Calgary, Alberta, by a number of socialist, farm, co-operative and labour groups, and the League for Social Reconstruction...
(CCF) political party. They were united in the belief that labour should be involved in politics.