Clear language:
Part of labour's strategy for inclusion and equality

1. Why this guide?

This guide is for staff and activists in the labour movement who are involved in organizing conferences or other large events for their members.

It is about:

• Describing how clear language can help make conferences more inclusive.
• Sharing some concrete tools for planning a clear language conference.
• Offering a model for developing guidelines for 'thinking equality' when we plan labour events.

Where it came from

Since 1996, the Literacy Project of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has supported its affiliates in raising awareness of literacy issues and in developing workplace literacy programs. At the same time, the CLC encouraged the use of clear language communications. It has developed resources and offered courses on clear language to unions, federations of labour and labour councils.

Literacy and clear language are two sides of the same coin, as they are both ways to encourage greater participation and strengthen the union movement. Literacy programs help members build their skills, get better jobs, improve family life and participate more actively in their communities and in their union. Clear language helps the union communicate more effectively with its members.

Here are two examples:

1. Following the 2002 Convention which mandated the CLC to rewrite its constitution in clear language, a clear language constitution was adopted in 2005.
2. The CLC planned its 2006 National Education Conference and Literacy Forum using a clear language lens.