What is a local union?
One of the CSN’s major strengths lies in the autonomy of all its affiliated unions representing more than 300,000 members.
This autonomy stems primarily from the fact that at the CSN—unlike the situation existing in other labour organizations—local unions and their members are issued their own certification by la Commission des relations du travail (CRT). This certification is in fact the “legal document” that grants the union all of its powers, including the power to negotiate a collective agreement.
The autonomy of local unions and their members’ powers
The members of a union affiliated with the CSN are therefore fully empowered to genuinely control the policies and actions of their own unions. This means that they have:
The bonds of solidarity
Although unions affiliated with the CSN enjoy considerable autonomy, unequalled anywhere else, this does not mean that they are isolated from one another.
The professional defence fund
The CSN’s professional defence fund (FDP) is one of the many forms of union solidarity that characterizes the CSN.
Services
The CSN is indisputably the bestequipped central labour body in Quebec in the area of giving members the services they may require.