From http://www.vdlc.ca/index.html:

“The Vancouver & District Labour Council (VDLC) is the local organization of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) at the city level. The CLC represents 1.5 million unionized workers across Canada.

The VDLC was founded in 1889 and is one of the oldest labour organizations in Canada.

The structure of the Canadian labour movement is composed of three levels. The national labour organization – the Canadian Labour Congress – plus ten provincial Federations of Labour (one for each of the ten provinces) and a labour Council for each city or municipal region.

Labour councils are composed of the locals of national unions that are affiliated to the Canadian Labour Congress.

The VDLC is the second largest labour council in Canada with 118 affiliated local unions representing 65,000 working men and women in the Greater Vancouver area.

Labour councils have various responsibilities but mainly are the voice and organization of the labour movement at the community level.

Labour councils organize the local unions in their jurisdiction to carry out the national policies of the CLC; to participate in national action campaigns; to assist unions on strike; to organize political action; to develop international solidarity and to work for social justice in the community.

The VDLC is governed by an elected Executive of five Officers plus 12 Members representing a cross section of local unions.

Local unions are allocated delegates based on the number of members in their union. These delegates meet monthly to discuss and debate issues of concern to their members. Local unions may introduce resolutions that if adopted become the policies of the labour council.

Resolutions adopted by local labour councils may be forwarded to the Canadian Labour Congress to be discussed and debated at the national level and if adopted become the national policies of the CLC.”

Gary Jarvis
Mark Whittam
Alex Youngberg