How to challenge discrimination in the workplace. The best way to file a grievance. Making your work safer.
As an OPSEU/SEFPO member, these are just a few of the free educational workshops you can take during the union’s Region 5 Weekend Educational taking place in-person on Saturday, September 20 and Sunday, September 21, 2025.
The deadline to complete the application form is 4 pm on Friday, July 25, 2025.
In-person-only courses
- Stewards 1: Making a Difference in the Workplace
- Stewards 2: Facing the Employer, Building Member Involvement
- Stewards 3: Dealing with Discipline
- Indigenous Journey: Walking Together: Part One
- Cross-Cultural Communication at Work: A Union Perspective
- Health and Safety: Level One
- Social Media for Activists
- Organizing to Win
If you’d like to take any of these courses, your union provides a variety of supports that can help, including family and child care and human rights accommodations. If you take part in the in-person event, you are also eligible for cash advances, and potentially the full reimbursement if you need to travel and stay in a hotel.
Event details
Location:
- Courses take place at the Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON M5G 1Z4
Dates:
- Saturday, September 20, 2025 – 9 am to 5 pm
- Sunday, September 21, 2025 – 9 am to 1 pm
Application deadline:
- Friday, July 25, 2025 at 4 pm – Apply now
On-site child care:
- OPSEU/SEFPO on-site child care will be available Saturday from 8:30 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 8:30 am to the end of classes. Parent/Guardians must be on site at all times when using childcare provided by OPSEU/SEFPO. Please complete one child-care registration form for each child.
Off-site child care:
- Family Care/Attendant expenses will be reimbursed per OPSEU/SEFPO Policy.
In-person-only course descriptions
We are pleased to offer the following in-person courses:
Stewards 1: Making a Difference in the Workplace
Prerequisites: None
This updated version of Stewards 1 includes a more detailed description and history of OPSEU/SEFPO’s equity-seeking groups. The course continues to support stewards through a range of tools and practical activities. 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 to the course.
Stewards 2: Facing the Employer, Building Member Involvement
Prerequisites: Stewards 1
This revised follow-up to Stewards 1 focuses on investigating and writing a grievance, facing management, and involving members in worksite action. Participants will use their own collective agreements to identify grievances. They will become immersed in an evolving case study in order to interview a grievor, write up a grievance, face the employer at a step 1 and make a presentation on safety issues to the union side of the Joint Health and Safety Committee. They will examine the elements of effective mobilization and develop a campaign strategy for a local. Participants should bring their collective agreements to the course.
Stewards 3: Dealing with Discipline
Prerequisites: Stewards 1 & Stewards 2
This is an advanced level steward course. It is suggested that participants take Stewards 1 and Stewards 2 prior to signing up for this program. Dealing with Discipline is a skills and knowledge focused workshop that will assist union activists in their duties representing members that are facing discipline up to and including dismissal.
The course bridges concepts from Stewards 1 and 2, Basic and Advanced Grievance Handling and Workplace Investigations. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements to the course.
Indigenous Journey: Walking Together: Part One
Prerequisites: None
Would you like to learn more about Indigenous peoples? Do you know that the First Nation, Inuit, and Métis peoples have differences in their traditions, beliefs, communities, and cultural identities as well as some commonalities?
Through activities, inspired by the teachings and traditions of Indigenous peoples, we will take you through an overview of the lives of the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples as well as allow you an opportunity to share in some of their stories.
You will take a journey of examining both historical and current relationships between Indigenous people and governments within Canada and the world today. If you would like to share in the rich history of Indigenous peoples and spend time understanding why being an ally is important, this course will offer that opportunity.
Cross-Cultural Communication at Work: A Union Perspective
Prerequisites: None
In our workplaces, unions, and communities, we experience daily interactions with diverse groups including co-workers, and our fellow union members. There are moments when these interactions lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding about cultural expressions and social cues. In order to work through some of these communication challenges, an introductory course, Cross-Cultural Communication, has been designed.
Participants will work through case scenarios to develop strategies designed to improve their cross-cultural communication
Health and Safety: Level One
Prerequisites: None
This course is designed for members and stewards who want to become more involved in health and safety activities in their workplace. There is a strong focus on health and safety legislation to enable participants to use the legislation effectively in their own workplaces.
Participants work in groups to explore the legislation and to gain a better understanding of their rights and employers’ obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. Participants are introduced to the concepts of hazard identification, assessment and control, and develop a greater understanding of the components of an effective health and safety system.
Social Media for Union Activists
Prerequisites: None
The increasing use of social media has become a reality in our union work. With this reality, come both pitfalls and opportunities. Social Media for Union Activists will explore what social media is and how to spot both the opportunities and difficulties when using social media. Recognizing that social media is an important part of many of our members lives, participants will examine what risks are inherent when using social media and what case law has been telling us.
Participants will explore what makes a successful social media campaign and develop some practical applications for social media use within Locals. Upon completing the course participants will be able to confidently use social media in their union work.
Organizing to Win
Prerequisites: None
This course explores principles, strategies and techniques of internal organizing as a process for empowering workers, strengthening the Local, and building a strong trade union movement.
Participants will focus on discussing organizing strategies, mapping networks, identifying organic leaders and practicing the organizing conversations. Together we will build our power to create a movement that ensures all workers’ rights are respected.
This course includes some materials and resources created by Labor Notes: Secrets of a Successful Organizer https://labornotes.org/secrets. It also draws from the ideas of Jane McAlevey https://janemcalevey.com/
Important Information
- The Participant and Course Selection Process will be carried out in accordance with OPSEU/SEFPO Education Policy.
- Confirmation will only be sent to applicants who are accepted.
- As a reminder, in accordance with OPSEU/SEFPO policy, full attendance is mandatory for participants at the educational. If you are unable to attend with full attendance without an acceptable reason, you will not receive credit for the course and your expenses (if any) may not be paid.
- Lost Wages will not be provided for this Educational.
- Application forms must be signed by one (1) Local Executive Officer (OPSEU/ SEFPO Policy 6.2.2) and received by [email protected] no later than July 25, 2025 by 4:00PM.
- Late applications may not be acknowledged.
If you’re attending in-person
- Single accommodation is approved for this Educational.
- OPSEU/SEFPO’s 60km rule will be enforced – this means that if you live further than 60km from the hotel you are entitled to single accommodations. For this event, members living outside 60 kms of the hotel will be entitled to room accommodation for both Friday and Saturday nights of the weekend educationals per OPSEU/SEFPO policy. Members living within 60 kms of the hotel will be entitled to room accommodation for Saturday night only, as required. Members will be reimbursed for the cost of a single room.
- You are responsible for booking your own accommodations directly with the hotel, if required. An online direct booking link for rooms in the Event Group Block will be issued to successful applicants at the following rates: Single $289.00 (taxes not included). Individuals may also call the hotel directly, toll free 1-800-CHELSEA (243-5732) or 416-595-1975. These individuals must also identify themselves as part of OPSEU/SEFPO September Educationals to take advantage of the discounted group rate.
- Valet parking will not be covered.
- As a reminder, in accordance with OPSEU/SEFPO policy, full attendance is mandatory for participants at the educational. If you are unable to attend with full attendance without an acceptable reason, you will not receive credit for the course and your expenses (if any) may not be paid.
- Persons attending OPSEU/SEFPO meetings are requested to refrain from using perfume, cologne and other fragrances for the comfort of other participants.
- Participants are also to refrain from bringing nut products, bottled water and Coca Cola products to OPSEU/SEFPO Events.
- All applications must be approved/signed by a Local Executive Committee member from the applicants Local, per OPSEU/SEFPO Policy 6.2.2. Applications without the required signatures will not be processed.
Accommodation
- A block of rooms has been reserved at the Chelsea Hotel, 33 Gerrard St W, Toronto, ON M5G1Z4
- Members are responsible for making their own Accommodation and Payment arrangements. Accommodations must be booked no later than August 20, 2025.
- All unreserved rooms will be released for re-sale after this date. OPSEU/SEFPO Policy states that members are responsible for their own rooms and paying for same, you are also responsible for any cancellation. Failing cancellation, you are responsible for the room charges.
- An online direct booking link, and telephone instructions for reserving a hotel room will be issued to successful Educational applicants prior to the hotel-booking deadline of August 20, 2025.
- For this event, members living outside 60 kms of the hotel will be entitled to room accommodation. Members will be reimbursed for the cost of a single room.
- OPSEU/SEFPO’s 60km rule will be waived on Saturday – this means that if you live further than 60 km from the hotel you are entitled to single accommodations on Friday and Saturday; if you live within 60 km of the hotel you are entitled to single accommodations on Saturday night only.
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 prior to the Weekend Educational (no later than 9:00 A.M. on the Thursday prior to the Educational). When a member does not attend and the Regional Office has not been notified forty-eight (48) hours prior to the Weekend Educational, the member will be assessed a Fifty Dollar ($50.00) penalty. Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
- A member cancelling participation must notify [email protected] and their local president on or before 9:00AM on September 18, 2025.
- All hotel reservations must be cancelled by 4 pm EST 48 hours (2 days) prior to the day of arrival. Late cancellations will result in a charge of a 1-night stay plus taxes. A valid credit card is required at time of booking.
Child / elder/ dependant care
- Use of OPSEU/SEFPO’s on-site child care is encouraged – please complete this child-care registration form to participate.
- Members who arrange their own child care will be reimbursed at $15 an hour to a maximum of $220 per 24-hour period, per OPSEU/SEFPO Policy 4.2.2.
- Child care claims will be honoured for children up to and including age 16, for whom the member is the parent/guardian.
- Friends, family, or professional or Commercial Services or any other arrangement satisfactory may provide care to the member making the claim. Claims may be verified and must be signed by the service provider.
- Members seeking childcare through OPSEU/SEFPO for this educational must include the completed Childcare Registration paperwork with their Application.
- If child care is requested, the child/dependant must be in attendance with the program.
- Off-site Family/Attendant care will be reimbursed at the rate of $15.00 per hour to a maximum of $220.00 per 24-hour period and must be signed by the care provider(s). Please complete this Family/Attendant Care form and specify hours claimed for each day. This policy covers the expenses for persons over the age of 16, permanently residing with, and under the care of a member, who are differently abled and/or aged.
Transportation
- If you are participating in person, you will be reimbursed for the actual cost incurred for travel by public transportation. As per the policy of the Union, the most economical means of transportation should be used.
- Where a member is required to use their private vehicle, they may claim for such travel at the current The total distance travelled, and destination points are to be indicated on the expense form.
- Members must arrange their own travel and are encouraged to
- Transportation/ Kilometric Rate will be as follows:
- One (1) OPSEU/SEFPO member travelling alone $0.55/km.
- Two (2) OPSEU/SEFPO members, $0.60/km.
- Three (3) OPSEU/SEFPO members $0.65/km.
- Any transportation/kilometric expense claim form involving OPSEU/SEFPO members as passengers must have the members name and address on the expense form.
- All expenses must be submitted on proper Expense Claim Forms or via the Member Portal.
Lost wages
- Lost Wages will not be provided for this Educational as per OPSEU/SEFPO Policy; this means that time-off letters are not being issued for this Educational.
Meals
- Breakfast: Members who stay at the hotel or had to be present for an OPSEU/SEFPO event before 0800 hours (8:00 a.m.) are eligible to claim twenty- two dollars ($22.00).
- Lunch: Members attending this educational may claim thirty dollars ($30.00) lunch on both Saturday and Sunday.
- Dinner: Members who stay at the hotel or had to be present for an OPSEU/SEFPO event past 1700 hours (5:00 m.) are eligible to claim thirty-nine dollars ($39.00).
Advance
- Indicate the amount required on the Advance Form and return to [email protected]
Application
To apply for this event, please do so online or download and complete the appropriate fillable forms. Please email the completed forms by Friday, July 25, 2025 at 4:00 pm to [email protected].