Building Local Capacity Project

May 9, 2014

What is the Building Local Capacity Project?

Building Local Capacity (BLC) was a project started by the Executive board of OPSEU in 2007. The project developed materials and tools specifically for locals, to help them strengthen their capacity in such areas as:

LEC leadership and skill development
Encouraging diverse member participation in the local
Building connections in different parts of the local
Mapping the local to minimize gaps in representation
Recruiting and developing stewards
Campaigning and mobilizing in the local
Getting to know and defend members' rights under the collective agreement
Strengthening links between the local, OPSEU, the labour movement and community

The BLC made new educational tools for locals and staff reps to use for the following activities:

Conducting local assessments with the LEC
Assisting the LEC to develop a plan of action for the local
Assisting the LEC to deal with tensions in the local
Working with the LEC to deliver specific local training such as preparing for bargaining, conflict resolution, accommodation, getting to know OPSEU, steward and LEC roles and responsibilities, etc.
Working with composite locals to develop inclusive and effective structures.

From this work, the project learned about some of the challenges that locals face on a daily basis. This learning forms the basis of the new materials and tools that the project created.

What local education materials has the project created?

The project has produced both tools and courses to build local capacity. Here are some that might interest you:

The local assessment tool and planning materials (available through your staff rep)
Materials for newly certified units (available through your staff rep)
Steward Pocket Guide (available in the Hands On Tools section of the website)
Checklists for stewards, local presidents and local treasurers (available in the Hands On Tools section of the website)
Toolkits for new local presidents and local treasurers (available at regional offices)
LEC Leadership and Team Development Course (run through regional educationals)
Composite Local Structure diagrams (available in the Hands On Tools section of the website)
Other tools helpful for your local.

Call your staff rep for more information on using these tools in your local.

The Local Assessment Tool

The Local Assessment Tool was one of the first materials created by the Building Local Capacity Project. It was developed in consultation with staff reps and local presidents who were interested in creating better-functioning, more mobilized locals. The "Tool" consists of about 115 specific questions organized around four areas of local responsibilities:

Administering the local
Building an involved membership
Representation of the members
Building links inside OPSEU and the labour movement

The assessment tool gives local executive committees (LECs) a way to review what is currently working in the local and to identify the key areas they want to strengthen, in order to make a local plan of action.

After completing the assessment tool process, the local should be able to:

Assess the current functioning of the local
Have a completed workplace map of the local
Determine a course of action to build an inclusive and more effective local

The tool is not designed to nit-pick all of the local's problems or to place blame on anyone in particular. This process is designed to energize the local to work together with a common plan to build local capacity.

The process – the creation of a local map, answering all the questions together, and developing a plan – usually takes one day of time for the LEC and any other activists the local wants to include in the discussions.

If your local is interested in doing a local assessment, contact your staff rep for assistance in setting up a local assessment day.

Funds for book-off time can be accessed through the "Local Time Off (80/20)" fund. For more information about the "Local Time Off" fund, click on this link for more information and forms.

Education and Action for New Units – 7 Short Modules

The organizing drive is over and now you are a new OPSEU member but you don't yet have a contract. Now what happens?

The Building Local Capacity Project has developed a very practical program for new units between the time of becoming certified and the first contract. The overall goals of the modules are to build community, solidarity and shared leadership amongst bargaining unit members, strengthen a positive union presence in the workplace, deal effectively with the employer in the absence of a collective agreement, and increase the likelihood of a decent first contract.

The 7 two-hour modules for new units consis of the following:

Creating a Map of Your Membership
Finding Your Way Around OPSEU
LEC Roles and Responsibilities
Developing and Electing New Unit/Local Leadership
Dealing with Employer Tactics Before a Contract
Preparing for Bagaining – What Does Bargaining Do?
Getting Started Tool

Call your staff rep if you want your local to have access to this education.

Tools for Composite Locals

More than half of OPSEU's locals are composite locals. The Building Local Capacity Project learned a lot about the complex challenges that are faced by these locals. A key difficulty is building a local structure that is inclusive, practical and representative of all of the units that are part of the local.

The tools posted below are sample diagrams of possible composite locals which vary according to the sectors they represent. These are tools intended to start a conversation on how to create a composite structure which:

Has representation and union activity happening in each of the units
Has an LEC representative of all of its units, not just some
Builds connections between the units to create a strong local

Developing a budget in a composite local has been a nightmare for many LECs. We provide a tool here, "Composite Locals – Building a Budget" to stimulate thinking on how to build a practical budget which includes all of the units.

Click on the links below for the tools described above:

Sample OPS Composite Local Structure