While job losses have weakened the traditional SAC bases in forestry and construction they have been recruiting increasingly among public sector workers and from the refugee and immigrant communities. Super wages and bureaucratic control have no place in their union. The five full-time national officers must stand for election every four years and are encouraged not to serve more than two terms. The eleven 'ombudspersons' are the skilled negotiators who can be called on by local union branches. They have to run for election every five years.
All staff receive the same wage, whether general secretary or telephonist.
That wage is the average industrial wage. Officials, unlike in other unions, cannot be elected delegates to SAC congress or any other decision making body. All branches and sections decide themselves on internal matters, it is the membership in a workplace which decides whether to accept or eject an agreement or go on strike. In that case the executive will decide if SAC can afford to give more help. SAC members pay higher subscriptions than members of other unions.