OPSEU/SEFPO Region 3 is offering the following courses at the Weekend Educational:
Advancing Union Issues Through Labour Management
Often union-side members become cynical about labour management committee work because the employer refuses to meet, or follow through on action. This course aims to strengthen skills of labour management committees to solve workplace problems and build the union, whether management is cooperating or not.
A variety of activities are used to clarify the union-building potential of LMC’s, to assess the effectiveness of a labour management committee, and to strengthen skills to move a workplace complaint to resolution at the LMC. Attention is paid to a) arguing an issue; b) addressing management tactics; c) using the LMC to communicate with members; d) strategies to mobilize members to back LMC work; e) connecting LMC work to bargaining and mobilizing work in the Local. Bring Your Collective Agreement to this course.
Duty to Accommodate 2: Making Accommodation Work
Does your employer balk at providing proper accommodations? Has your employer challenged the medical information the member has provided? Is the employer asking members for independent medical exams? Do you hear grumblings from co-workers about the number of accommodations in the workplace?
Building on the skills and information in the first course, “Duty to Accommodate: A tool for inclusive workplaces”, Making Accommodation Work: Duty to Accommodate 2, examines the challenges of supporting a worker in need of an accommodation. This course investigates strategies and skills for gathering information, challenging employer tactics used to prevent accommodations, developing a fair accommodation plan, and communicating with co-workers to build more workplace solidarity.
While the course focuses mainly on the practical aspects of accommodation due to disability, many of the issues such as collective agreement language, attendance management programs, co-worker resentment apply to accommodation based on sex and family status as well.
Interpreting Your Collective Agreement: An Activist’s Role
Do you know what your collective agreement is? Do you have a copy of it? Have you ever wondered what is in your collective agreement and how to find information on different articles? Do you know how the collective agreement is structured? Are you confused by some of the terms used in it?
In this newly revised version of the Contract Interpretation course members will be assisted in understanding the power of their collective agreement and how to interpret and enforce their collective agreement. Using interpretation guidelines developed through case law, participants will build the skills and confidence needed to understand and use their collective agreements.
Activities will give participants an opportunity to review legislation, examine the importance of timelines, discuss case scenarios and debate some common clauses and what they mean. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements to the course.
Making Composite Locals Work
Note: This course is not designed for individuals coming from different locals. Participants who register should be complete LEC groups that are working together to build strength in their units and ultimately the local.
Composite/Multi-unit Locals can be very challenging and complex locals to organize and run.
Difficulties with communication, and membership coordination are among the barriers that often prevent these locals from being inclusive and achieving their full potential. This course provides an opportunity for an in-depth working session for local executive committees of composite or multi- unit locals.
Participants will develop clear roles and responsibilities as local leaders, prepare an appropriate budget, develop local structures, and will assess the functioning of their local and its” units. Based on the work from the course, the local executives will begin to develop action plans to implement in their local.
Dates and Times:
Saturday September 17, 2022 – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sunday September 18, 2022 – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
Location:
Pinestone Resort
4252 County Road #21
Haliburton, Ontario K0M 1S0
Registration package:
Region 3 Education Call Out Sept 17-18, 2022
Region 3 Educational Application – Sept 17-18, 2022
Time Off Request Form – Sept 17-18, 2022
Child Care Form Sept 17-18, 2022
Please return completed application forms to:
region3@opseu.org by Friday July 15, 2022 @ 4:30 pm