In the winter of 1994, selected planners and coordinators of Canadian labor-based literacy programs were interviewed regarding the evolution of and concerns surrounding labor-based literacy and/or basic skills programs for union members. It was discovered that the impetus for labor-based literacy programs has generally come from the local and provincial levels of Canadian unions. Most basic skills programs are delivered to a group of workers at one workplace. Often, employers contribute by paying for worker-participants' lost time or by contributing facilities. Only a few labor-based programs make extensive use of educational technologies, including computers. Teaching models in many labor-based literacy programs are based on a worker-centered approach allowing participants to determine program content based on their individual and collective needs. Although start-up coordination and training costs have often been covered through grants from Canada's National Literacy Secretariat, labor-based programs are struggling to find other sources of funding. Several individuals interviewed called for serious research and evaluation of the outcomes of labor-based literacy programs, development of avenues for exchanging information with other programs, and expanding links between literacy and job training. (MN)