Region 6 Educational (Sudbury) – November 1 and 2, 2025

July 30, 2025

Region 6 Educational (Sudbury)
OPSEU/SEFPO Sudbury Regional Office
November 1 and 2, 2025

Courses

Mandatory Equity Plenary Session November 1, 2025 from 0830 to 0930

All participants will be required to attend this information session prior to attending the course of their choice. Breakfast will not be provided during this session.

Stewards 1: Making a Difference in the Workplace UPDATED November 1, 2025, 0930hrs to 1630hrs

November 2, 2025, 0900hrs to 1300hrsThis course supports stewards through a range of tools and practical activities and includes a detailed description and history of OPSEU/SEFPO’s equity-seeking groups. The key aims are to strengthen steward skills to orient a new employee to the union, have effective one-on-one conversations with a cross-section of members, develop a communications strategy to enlist diverse member involvement, and develop approaches to everyday workplace problems. Throughout the course, participants are supported as they develop a profile of their members, clarify the tasks of the steward, find the resources and information in OPSEU/SEFPO, and understand the grievance process and their role in it. Stewards 1 is a prerequisite to Stewards 2 and must be completed before taking Stewards 2. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements.

Union Skills for Workplace Investigations November 1, 2025, 0930hrs to 1630hrs

November 2, 2025, 0900hrs to 1300hrsHave you ever been called, at the last minute, to the employer’s office to “represent” a member who is being accused of serious wrong-doings? Have you wondered what to do and how best to represent this person, particularly if you suspect that they may have broken a rule or two? This hands-on course takes you step by step through a workplace investigations process. It starts with the first contact with the member, through to the response to the investigation findings, with lots of practice in between. Through case studies and a variety of active exercises you’ll practice interviewing the member, anticipating the investigator’s questions, preparing the member for meeting the investigator, taking good notes at the meeting, and working with the member to respond to the findings. The Resource Toolkit has additional information about investigations in different sectors, use of surveillance, and other issues.

Let’s Start Meeting Like This! Running Meetings that Build the Union November 1, 2025, 0930hrs to 1630hrs

November 2, 2025, 0900hrs to 1300hrsHave you ever been confused at meetings about when you can speak and when you can’t? Perhaps you have tried to run a meeting where there was no quorum, or where people kept interrupting each other and getting off track. Maybe you’re discouraged because you’re not sure how to make meetings a good use of anyone’s time. This course examines the potential of meetings to tap into diverse members’ energy and interest, and to build union capacity. Practical, hands-on activities will help you a) develop an interesting agenda and get members to the meeting; b) understand how to write and put forward a motion and use basic rules of parliamentary procedure effectively; c) facilitate an effective meeting discussion; d) deal with meeting “nightmares” who often look like members who won’t stop talking, or who can’t agree. Materials include templates for committee reports and meeting minutes, as well as stepby-step guidelines on running different kinds of meetings.

Women in Activism: Staying Connected November 1, 2025, 0930hrs to 1630hrs

November 2, 2025, 0900hrs to 1300hrsAre you a woman who wants to get involved in your Union but you are uncertain as to where and how to begin? Have you wondered how activists got into the position they are in and why they got involved? Do you have the energy and interest but lack the confidence in getting yourself elected to a position? Then this is a course for you. This course will take you through the journey of successful women in unions and the political arena, how they got there and what they have achieved. You will understand your role as an activist, gain confidence in taking the first steps, and feel motivated in encouraging others to do the same. You will review your own time management strategies and work out a schedule for yourself. Through scenarios, role-play, interactive videos, and checklists, you will understand the issues women have faced over the years; some of which still continue today. You will learn how to build on these wins to make further inroads for women. Suggested Pre-requisite – one elected activist and one partner who is not elected (take a closer look at who you may want to bring). This can be an encouragement to mentor others

Applications

Completed application forms (page 5 of this PDF) must include the signed recommendation of a Local Executive Officer (an approval via email from an LEC will be accepted if a signature is not possible) and be received by the Sudbury Regional Office no later than September 17, 2025, at 12:00 pm to [email protected]

Event information

Location

Holiday Inn Sudbury, 1696 Regent Street, Sudbury ON P3E 3Z8

Meals

No meals are provided by OPSEU/SEFPO for this event.Meals will be reimbursed at the rate of $23 for breakfast, $31 for lunch and $40 for dinner.

Hotel accommodations

Information regarding accommodations will be provided to accepted applicants after the deadline of September 17, 2025 via email.

Human rights accommodation

If you require an accommodation to attend this event, please complete this Human Rights Accommodation Request Form.

Lost wages / time off

Per past practice, lost wages will be paid for those members who are scheduled to work on these days or the nightshift before. Any claim for lost wages must be substantiated by proof from your employer.

Selection Process – Education Policy Section 7 (Policy Manual)

The selection process will be in accordance with the Education Policy – Section 7 of the Policy Manual. All Local Presidents have an OPSEU/SEFPO Policy Manual. Please contact your Local President to review this policy. Applicants will be notified via email after September 7, 2025.

Cancellations

Notification by a member to cancel course attendance should be received by both the local president and the regional office no later than 48 hours before commencement of the regional school. When a member does not attend and the Regional office has not been notified 48 hours prior to the school’s commencement, the member will be assessed a $50.00 penalty. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration.

Family/Attendant Care

Family/Attendant Care will be reimbursed as per OPSEU/SEFPO policy as outlined on the back of the expense claim. Such allowance is not intended to reimburse the claimant for dependant/family expenses they would have normally incurred as a result of employment except where the absence exceeds the normal workday or week. Family/dependent care will be reimbursed as per OPSEU/SEFPO Policy Manual.Email applications to [email protected]