The Canadian Labour Congress and the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF) came together in what was supposed to be an equal marriage of the left wing and labour in Canada. New Party Committees formed all across Canada and new political friendships and allegiances were formed.  It was the 1950ʼs and CCF membership roles were in steady decline.  The 1958 Conservative sweep spooked the still fledgling social democratic movement in Canada.

Once the “New Party Committees” had done their work and at the end of five formal days at the New Party Convention, delegates elected CCF Premier Tommy Douglas leader, grabbed the name New Democratic Party of Canada, and unionists in Canada had a new political home.   Like a lot of marriages, the relationship between Canadaʼs unions and the NDP worked for a time, but it slowly changed over time.  It had a lot to do with money for a little while.  And now, after many incidents and some wild-bust-up-fights the binds holding the NDP and labour together are strained.

Iʼm not advocating for divorce, but counseling, or at the very least, a conversation between the NDP and Canadaʼs labour movement is in order.

Stagnancy and Status Quo

Here is the major problem with the status quo:  We donʼt win enough of the labour vote.  Unionized Canadians are not voting for the NDP.  Greater numbers of non-union Canadians vote for the NDP. The Canadian union movement, as a whole, isnʼt a wholehearted member of the New Democratic Party. (I wonʼt rehash the heartbreak of former CAW President Buzz Hargroveʼs slow demise in the political sphere).

An important but easily forgotten element of the old CCF name was “Farmer-Labour- Socialist”. This is as it appears in brackets of many old Hansard pages after “Cooperative Commonwealth Federation.”

Break it down: Socialists (check! we still have all of those), Labour (wait, only about 40-50% of union members vote NDP), and Farmers (yikes, how did this happen!? More next week on how we lost and might be able to regain the farm family vote.)

Let me be very clear. Canada has many unions that are very involved in the NDP’s success federally and provincially. They take their affiliation seriously and provide the support for an integral part of what Laytonʼs team has built into a “big orange machine.”  Steelworkers. ACTRA. COPE. CUPE. CEP. Provincial public service unions. These relationships have created amazing joint projects like The Westray Act. The people I have worked with from these unions are dedicated New Democrats and this is why I canʼt advocate an all out divorce with so-called “big labour.” Not before trying to solve the stagnancy first.

When briefing candidates across 308 ridings during my time in the press office, I quickly became well-versed in the local union politics of each area. It makes very little sense to me that Jack Layton should be attacked over a CUPE localʼs behavior in the Toronto garbage strike or Paul Dewar slighted for the OC Transpo strike in Ottawa. New Democrats canʼt continue to carry every local strike, nor can we afford to adopt lockstep every union-endorsed labour policy, or mediate intra-union division. Not when as Democrats we want to govern. Unions canʼt simply be the pool where NDP campaigns “get volunteers” and donations.

After nearly five years working for the New Democrats on the Hill I can safely assure Canadians the CLC does not get orders from New Democrats. Nor should they! The CLC is one of Canadaʼs largest representative organizations. An umbrella group of unions representing well over one million working Canadians.

The NDP is now one of Canadaʼs largest political parties pulling in well over two million votes federally and provincially; holding two majority provincial governments and is a major political force in Canada electing MP’s in Newfoundland, Alberta, and Quebec.

This isnʼt the 1960ʼs. The labour movement has evolved significantly and the political left in Canada looks a lot different; a lot like a viable national government even.

So, dare I ask a “third-rail” question of the New Democratic Party: does it continue to make sense that because an organization co-founded the party it should still have a permanent seat at the federal caucus table and nearly 25% of leadership votes?

Next steps

So, how? Who starts this conversation? Well, I suggest a brave unionist New Democrat MP could kick it off. I think we need a well-respected member of the federal Caucus to take a hold of this issue. Create a task-force and send up recommendations to the next convention. Iʼm not sure we can redefine the relationship between labour and social democrats in Halifax, but Iʼm sure we can start the conversation.

Iʼm looking forward to meeting and talking to New Democrats from coast-to-coast-to-coast in Halifax. If you arenʼt coming please leave a comment and help start the online conversation.