Trades and Labour Congress of Canada

Canadian organization

Also known as: TLC

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July 14, 2026

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The Trades and Labour Congress of Canada (TLC) was a national association of labor unions founded in 1886. It largely comprised craft unions, many of which were affiliated with the American Federation of Labor (AFL). The TLC accepted both craft and industrywide unions.

In 1940, the TLC expelled its Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) affiliates. These ousted unions, along with the All-Canadian Congress of Labour, formed the Canadian Congress of Labour (CCL). In 1956, the CCL and TLC merged to create the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).1

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organized labour
Origins of craft unionism
…parallel to the AFL, the Trades and Labor Congress (TLC) in 1886.
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…parallel to the AFL, the Trades and Labor Congress (TLC) in 1886.
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Canadian Labour Congress
…through the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada and the Canadian Congress of Labour. At the onset of the 21st century, a majority of the four million unionized workers in English-speaking Canada belonged to unions affiliated with the CLC.
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…through the merger of the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada and the Canadian Congress of Labour. At the onset of the 21st century, a majority of the four million unionized workers in English-speaking Canada belonged to unions affiliated with the CLC.
Read More