In negotiating wages and benefits for its members, the CLAC considers the "economic viability of the enterprise." The association supports the open shop as an expression of the principle of free association and as a balance between individual and collective interests. It represents more than 58,000 workers under some 550 collective agreements across Canada; more than 15,000 of its workers are in Alberta. The membership is concentrated in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan, in sectors such as construction, social services, healthcare, emergency services, transportation, retail, education, hospitality, and manufacturing.