October 31, 2006

MacLennan takes parting shot at unions

EDMONTON

The departing president of Alberta’s largest union says he has no regrets about being kicked out of three major labour groups, including the Canadian Labour Congress.

“The labour movement is about the members. It’s not about some historic stupid rules,” Dan MacLennan said as he addressed for a final time the annual convention of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees. “It’s not about paying somebody $2.5 million to tell you what you can do.”

“It's not about paying somebody $2.5 million to tell you what you can do.”

Dan MacLennan

Bantrel

MacLennan has joined the private sector as a recruiter working for Calgary-based Bantrel Construction.

Five years ago, AUPE was ejected from the labour congress, the Alberta Federation of Labour and the National Union of Public and General Employees. They all accused it of raiding members from the Canadian Union of Public Employees and other labour groups by the thousands.

MacLennan scoffed at the idea that a national labour group was telling him not to allow members from another union to jump to AUPE ranks, which nearly doubled to 63,000 during his nine years as president.

“They said, ‘Are you willing to compromise the labour movement for a bunch of housekeepers, secretaries and long-term care workers?’’” he told the crowd. “And I said, ‘I will ... compromise the movement every day.’”

MacLennan said the fractious battle with labour umbrella groups has already saved AUPE more than $8 million in affiliation fees.

He also said there’s a possibility of passing a resolution at the AUPE convention to break any link with the groups permanently.

“Otherwise, if the suspension is lifted, this organization has to write a cheque for $200,000 a month to those groups,” he said. “We don’t need to buy our friends; we need to make our friends.”

A spokesman for the Canadian Labour Congress in Ottawa deferred comment to the National Union of Public and General Employees. But national president James Clancy was not available for comment.

The convention hall, packed with nearly 800 delegates and observers, echoed with cries of support as MacLennan delivered his farewell speech, which drew a prolonged standing ovation.

He suggested some labour leaders of the past were more interested in putting their feet up than working hard for their membership.

A log book given to delegates shows MacLennan worked 60-hour weeks, including most weekends. Many days included noon-hour pizza meetings with members and hundreds of car trips to every corner of the province.

MacLennan has chosen his friends carefully. He is a strong supporter of Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove and is a personal friend of Alberta Premier Ralph Klein.

The premier confirmed recently that he intervened directly to settle a two-day illegal strike by 11,000 AUPE nurses in 2000. The premier’s intervention came only a few days after the two men played golf in a media tournament.

CANADIAN PRESS

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