The Role of International Unionism in Canada

Among the many examples of interdependence that characterize the U.S.-Canadian relationship is the presence in Canada of branches of "international unions". These unions - which are "international" in that they have members in both Canada and the United States - have their headquarters and most of their membership in the United Sates. They have expanded into Canada, as has U.S. industry, largely in response to economic and cultural forces that are part of the North American setting....The phenomenon shows no signs of having been master-minded by Washington or even consciously sought after by American labour. Nevertheless, there have been expressions of misgiving from time to time, about the pervasiveness of international unionism in Canada. Over seventy percent of Canadian union members belong to internationals. Worry about the potential political or other influence that might be exerted on Canada through these unions has led to occasional proposals for restricitng their growth.