The 2026 Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) takes place at the Winnipeg Convention Centre from May 11 to 15. MoveUP, (alongside delegates representing other locals of our national union, COPE) is well-represented at the convention, which brings together CLC-affiliated unions from across the country.
Follow along this page as we share updates from the convention, highlighting issues that are of particular interest or importance for MoveUP members, throughout the week.
To see the resolutions at the CLC Convention, click here. Resolutions that are passed each day are listed below.
Click the following links to see the Emergency/Late Resolutions: Part 1 and Part 2
- ESP stands for Economic & Social Policy
- GEN stands for General
- CSR stands for Constitution & Structure
- ER stands for Emergency/Late Resolution
Video Features
CLC Action Plans
Through the first two days of Convention, the CLC has adopted the following action plans:
- We Fight For Democracy
- We Build The Future
- We Fight For Dignity
- We Care For All
- We Fight For Justice
- We Build Worker Power
Click here to read all the action plans.
Thursday, May 14
Guest Panel: We Build Worker Power
The final day of Convention began with a panel discussion hosted by Nat Wilson (Point Blank) featuring Jeremy Salter (IATSE), Pablo Godoy (UFCW), Munib Sajjad OSSTF), and Deepak Kullar (USW).
They dove into issues including dealing with employer resistance and union busting during organizing, the advantages that having a labour-friendly government has for organizing efforts, the challenges to organizing workers who have never been in a union in the past, and tactics on how to effectively organize including focusing on the community.
They also talked about some of their mistakes they have made, including trying to have one-size-fits-all organizing strategies, as well as finding ways to help non-unionized workers understand how individual needs fit into collective goals.
They also talked about the steps after a successful union drive, speaking to the difficulties that can take place when trying to get to the bargaining table when dealing with resistant employers that try to prevent a collective agreement from being bargained.
Salute from Sanders
Prior to the lunch break and the big rally that took the streets of Winnipeg, delegates watched a video message from US Senator Bernie Sanders.
Sanders talked about how it was more important now for workers to come together in both Canada and the US, and that never have we ever seen such inequality, and power concentrated in the billionaire class. That is a status quo that we have to change, he said.
He also talked about how he believed the union movement is being revitalized across the US, and that it is our obligation to take on the oligarchs and win our struggle.
Special Message from Premier Eby
BC Premier David Eby, and leader of the BC NDP, delivered a video message to delegates at convention.
He talked about a wide range of ways the BC government has supported workers, pointing to things such as single-step union certification, requiring all crane operators be certified, as well as restoring trades certifications and expanded apprenticeships.
Resolutions passed on Day 4
- GEN Resolution 5 (GEN-134): Palestinian Solidarity (amended to include calling the CLC to cut ties with the Histadrut)
- GEN Resolution 9 (GEN-096): Worker Involvement in Sustainable Jobs Action Plans
- GEN Composite Resolution 10: Gender Equity and Rights in Health Care
- Resolution ER-08: Enforcing the Canada Health Act
- Resolution ER-10: Defending Canada’s Public Postal Service
- ER Composite Resolution (ER-01, ER-03, ER-06): Solidarity with Cuba
- Resolution ER-09: Canada Labour Code
*indicates a resolution submitted by our union or our national union, or a composite resolution that includes content submitted by our union or our national union
Wednesday, May 13
Avi Lewis takes centre stage
Avi Lewis kicked off the third morning of Convention from the very same location where he was elected as the new leader of the Canada’s NDP just six weeks earlier.
Lewis spoke about his excitement at assuming his new role while criticizing the current Liberal government for not talking to workers and for failing to properly partner with the labour movement.
Lewis said that if the current government truly wants to chart a path forward for all Canadians, they must do so hand-in-hand with all workers.
He forecasted some of the work that NDP MPs will be doing in the next several weeks including pushing for the permanent deletion of Section 107 (which breaks legal strikes and forces workers back to work) from Canada Labour Code, as well as ending the loopholes found in the current anti-scab legislation which some companies, such as Rogers, have been using by flying in strikebreaking workers from out-of-province.
He also spoke about the NDP’s push to end surveillance pricing, where companies use technology to manipulate prices and maximize their profits by using peoples’ personal data and showing different prices for the same products at the same store.
Lewis admitted that the NDP was in a critical stage where, despite the many progressive gains that the NDP delivered under Jagmeet Singh’s leadership, it has lost touch with many working-class Canadians. He stressed the importance of reconnecting with workers and union leaders, racialized communities, queer and trans communities, disability and justice community, and other communities that have felt marginalized.
He closed by saying the greatest gift we can pass along to workers is a union card and wished delegates well for the rest of convention.
Guest Panel: We Care For All
A panel discussion hosted by Mitzie Hunter (Canadian Women’s Foundation) featuring Jess Thomas (CUPE), Lucy Morton (NUPGE), Linda Wilson (UFCW), Denise Pinnock (PIPSC), and Chris Gallaway (Friends of Medicare).
They discussed included the issue of unpaid work in care, including child care, disability care, and elderly care, and the implications of what would happen for all Canadians if care were to disappear even for a single day. Without care, people would lose their lives. Care work is life changing and life giving, so why is the care sector undervalued?
They also talked about the risks that healthcare workers face including poor working conditions and abuse, particularly in privatized healthcare settings, as part of the undervaluing of the care sector.
Humanitarian Award
The CLC announced that The Honourable Murray Sinclair was posthumously honoured with the CLC Award for Outstanding Service to Humanity.
Learn more about Sinclair’s legacy here.
Stephanie Scott, Executive Director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, accepted the award in Sinclair’s honour while providing an updating on the work of the centre.
We Fight For Justice
To begin the We Fight For Justice portion of the agenda, guest speaker Dr. Adelle Blackett took the stage. Blackett is a Professor of Law and Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development at McGill University.
Her roles have included Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Chari of the Employment Equity Act Review Task Force in Canada, a Quebec human rights and youth rights commissioner, and Chair of the Human Rights Experts Panel of the federal Court Challenges Program.
Dr. Blackett said universal peace can only be established if it’s based on social justice. “Social justice, at its core, is about making sure all working people can work in dignity,” she said.
She stressed the importance of having equity conversations in the workplace so that equity becomes the norm, not the exception. She also addressed the recent backlash on EDI (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion), reminding everyone that employment equity is part of what we fought for historically to make equality a reality.
“Equitable inclusion is our strength. It’s how we build the kind of thick bonds of solidarity that will allow our workplaces and our societies to thrive,” she said. “In other words, equitable inclusion is solidarity in action.”
Team Unite Leadership Team
With all leadership candidates running uncontested, the following will be officially installed on Thursday:
- President: Bea Bruske
- Secretary-Treasurer: Lily Chang
- Executive Vice-President: Siobhán Vipond
- Executive Vice-President: Marc-Édouard Joubert
Resolutions passed on Day 3
- GEN Composite Resolution 6: Health Care Workers
- GEN Composite Resolution 7: Transit
- GEN Resolution 8 (GEN-089): Child Care
- ESP Composite Resolution 13: Pensions
- ESP Composite Resolution 14: First Nations Public Utility Projects*
- ESP Resolution 15 (ESP-099): Establishing a National Secretariat or Minister for Education
- ESP Resolution 16 (ESP-092): Union-Busting by Amazon and other Multinational Companies
- ESP Resolution 17 (ESP-095): National Seniors Strategy
- ESP Resolution 18 (ESP-087): Misuse of Casual and Student Workers
- ESP Resolution 19 (ESP-098): National Commercial Agreement Lockout
- ESP Resolution 20 (ESP-056) Air Passenger Protection Regulations
*indicates a resolution submitted by our union or our national union, or a composite resolution that includes content submitted by our union or our national union
Tuesday, May 12
Guest Panel: Build The Future
The second day of convention kicked off with a panel discussion hosted by Tanya Palson, Executive Director of Manitoba Building Trades. The panel consisted of Robert Duarte (Ironworkers), Marc Lafond (IUOE), and Nicole Boreland (LiUNA Canada).
The panel discussed talked about their experiences of how they first became tradespersons and learning quickly about the stark differences in experiences between non-union and union workers, with the latter receiving significantly better wages and benefits.
They also discuss the experiences of workers in the building trades today, addressing issues including training, job precarity, health and safety, discrimination that can occur on the job, as well as some of the reasons why people may not be going into the trades.
Premier Kinew fires up the crowd
Popular Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew was the featured speaker on the second morning of Convention.
Kinew spoke of his love of unions and spoke about the work of his government to put money back into peoples’ pockets – noting the province’s recent tax cuts for gas and PST – but also their work to support of trans rights.
He specifically noted the items together because he wanted to demonstrate even to the conservative-minded that supporting tax cuts and being anti-trans are not items to be linked, and that his government has shown you can take such actions to make life more affordable and still also support 2SLGBTQIA+ rights.
Kinew went on to list out many of his government’s accomplishments to support workers’ rights, pointing to anti-scab legislation and single-step union certification among other things.
Kinew called the biggest threat to union workers and the average person as being US President Donald Trump and the tariffs he has imposed and economic threats he has made on Canada. He cautioned that even after Trump is gone from office, that Trumpism remains because their movement continues to be bankrolled by billionaires and well-connected networks.
He also talked about how Manitoba is taking on some of the biggest corporations, pointing to the recent ban on social media and AI chatbots for those 16-and-under in the province, because of their lack of regulatory safeguards.
Kinew concluded by calling their NDP government as the true party of common sense and called for unity among workers as being people who want to move forward to help the average person. He says we must work together as the labour movement and as a political movement to make real change in our country.
Guest Panel: We Fight For Dignity
After a spirit round of debates on constitutional resolutions, delegates listened to a panel hosted by Jen Hassum (Broadbent Institute) featuring union leaders Karen Ranalletta (CUPE), Rona Eckert (CUPW), John Di Nino (ATU), Alex Silas (PSAC).
They spoke on a range of topics included jobs being lost to outsourcing and AI and the cuts to public service jobs in the federal sector being made by the current Liberal government under Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Of particular interest to MoveUP members, on the topic of post-secondary education, Ranalletta spoke specifically on the experience in BC, where workers in the sector are losing their jobs because of the mismanagement and underfunding of the sector. She talked about the need to reframe post-secondary and skills training as an economic driver.
Additionally, Di Nino addressed issues around public transit, saying that the lack of investment in public transit is a class issue and amounts to an attack of workers. He said our country lacks a national transit strategy, and that’s leaving people stranded and, in some cases, even death.
Resolutions passed on Day 2
- GEN Composite Resolution 1: Public Service Cuts*
- GEN Composite Resolution 2: Indigenous Justice*
- GEN Composite Resolution 3: Supporting Safer Work
- GEN Composite Resolution: Anti-Hate and Anti-Fascism
- CSR Composite Resolution 1: CS-004 and CS-012
- ESP Composite Resolution 6: Trade
- ESP Composite Resolution 7: Employment Insurance
- ESP Resolution 8 (ESP-076): Closing the Gender Wage Gap
- ESP Composite Resolution 9: Migrant Workers’ Rights
- ESP Composite Resolution 10: Fair Taxation
- ESP Resolution 11 (ESP-022): Precarious Work
- ESP Composite Resolution 12: Affordability
Monday, May 11
“Gramma” Shingoose opens Convention
The opening ceremonies of the convention began with an address from Geraldine “Gramma” Shingoose. Gramma, who also spoke at the 2025 COPE National Convention, is a respected Saulteaux/Anishinaabe Elder and activist from Winnipeg.
She spoke about needing to honour the past and how our ancestors fought for workers’ rights and unionizing workplaces and reminded delegates of how much power we have today to affect change. She also spoke to her residential school experience and reminded us about the need to care for each other and, finally, reminded delegates to make sure they bring their voices forward at this convention.
Greetings from Winnipeg labour leaders
Kevin Rebeck, president of the Manitoba Federation of Labour, and Melissa Dvorak, president of the Winnipeg Labour Council, welcomed delegates to Winnipeg by talking about the city’s strong labour history, dating back to the 1919 General Strike.
Both mentioned how the spirit of solidarity is alive and well in the city, and that’s thanks in large part to union members coming together to electing a labour-friendly government, pointing to the Manitoba NDP led by Premier Wab Kinew, and the workers’ rights that have followed as a result including the country’s strongest anti-scab legislation, single-step union certification, reducing the need for sick notes for employers, and the provision of free menstrual products in workplaces.
President’s Address from CLC President Bea Bruske
Bea Bruske began her address by sharing her family’s history, about how her grandfather worked to sabotage the Nazis in Germany and was killed for his efforts. From that, she learned the lesson that when workers are divided, power does terrible things, but when workers stand together, they become a force that cannot be ignored.
She recalled the moment she became a workers’ activist when, working as a grocery clerk, she was on a picket line for 125 scabs, watching as the employer brought in scab workers, but that served as a powerful reminder to her and her colleagues why workers need each other.
Bea pointed to some of the real gains that the labour movement has achieved recently, including successfully advocating for a national pharmacare, dental care, and school food program, but that there are still so many more challenges that workers face. She pointed to the fact that food bank visits are at an all-time high, while CEOs earn roughly 250 times that of an average worker.
She pointed out the different challenges faced by people and workers but reminded everyone that even though we are fighting for our interests and for the interests of our own union, that it is critical that we fight for everyone because an injury to one is an injury to all.
She closed by emphasizing our mission is to bring the power of union to all workers, doing so by removing barriers to unionizing, ensuring every worker understands the power that comes with being in a union, and fighting back against union busting tactics.
Guest Panel: We Fight For Democracy
As delegates returned from lunch, they were treated to a panel discussion consisting of CLC President Bea Bruske, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, and Deputy General Secretary of IndustriALL Europe Judith Kirton-Darling, who spoke about the fight for democracy in Canada, the United States, and Europe.
Among the topics they discussed included why workers are seemingly turning to candidates who will worsen their economic realities, mentioning how these candidates often bait and switch by saying one thing while doing the opposite, but how those words are often music to the ears of folks who are facing extreme economic insecurity and social anxiety.
They discussed the need to counter the far-right across the world, who are extremely organized, heavily resourced, and often use manipulation and lies as tactics. The way to do so is to deepen our community roots and truly listen to people so that they can hear their voices reflected in our messages.
The panel also pointed to some progressive victories, pointing to the likes of the NDP government in Manitoba, the election of Zohran Mamdami as mayor of New York City, Democratic victories in previously Republican strongholds in places across the US, and the success of the Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government in Spain.
Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi
Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi pulled no punches when he spoke about what is happening in Alberta.
He called Alberta both a cautionary tale, but also an inspiring tale on how workers can organize and unions can fight back.
He talked about how on his first day on the job, the Danielle Smith UCP government pre-emptively used the notwithstanding clause to take away workers’ right to collectively bargain. Then, two weeks later, the UCP used the same clause three times to attack healthcare workers, parents, and children.
Nenshi also addressed the cost-of-living crisis and talked about how right-wing governments across the country, especially in Alberta, could not care less.
He warned that if Danielle Smith succeeds in her anti-worker, anti-human agenda, it will be replicated across the country.
He said our job – the job of all union members and workers – is to fight like hell for better public healthcare, public education, so people can afford to live in Canada, for ethics and decent government, and for workers every single day.
Special message from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivered a short video message of solidarity to delegates at convention.
Walz spoke about his background in the teacher’s union, and pointed to the pro-worker policies that he put in place during his time as governor.
Resolutions passed on Day 1
- ESP Composite Resolution 1: Industrial Policy
- ESP Composite Resolution 2: Resisting Attacks on Labour Rights*
- ESP Composite Resolution 3: Combatting Anti-Immigrant Sentiment
- ESP Composite Resolution 4: Post-Secondary Education*
- ESP Composition Resolution 5: Artificial Intelligence*
*Indicates a resolution submitted by our union or our national union, or a composite resolution that includes content submitted by our union or our national union
