OPSEU’s Provincial Young Workers Committee (PYC) is set to host its annual conference from August 9-11, 2019 at the Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto.
This year’s theme, Elevate: Rising to Meet the Challenges of Uncertain Times, will examine how recent Ford government cutbacks have affected youth and young workers. Given recent trends to elect anti-labour and pro-business governments, the onus has fallen on young workers to reverse this trend. The reason? Young workers are the most affected and have the most to lose.
The 2019 OPSEU Young Workers Conference will look at the proud history of labour activism in Canada. Participants will also learn how to navigate through OPSEU and the plethora of resources that it has to offer its members. In addition, everyone will have an opportunity to share experiences and make plans for future involvement in their locals, union and communities.
Participants will:
- share information and experiences of workplace situations
- know more about where they can become active in the union
- be inspired by workers and community members who have faced challenges in the past
- understand why unions matter to young workers today
- be able to better navigate OPSEU
A first for this conference, the PYC will modernize its communication materials to an eco-friendly, digital format. This will ensure members receive real-time updates in a more effective, accessible and paperless format, while saving money and protecting the environment. Additionally, the digital format will allow for the PYC to be transparent, accountable and sustainable, whilst creating a digital library for future succession planning.
This green initiative is one step in the larger fight back against the detrimental cuts that the Ford government has been making, which include playing with the province’s environmental footprint. By doing their part to protect the environment, the PYC is showing communities across the province that as young workers, they are taking up the challenge to preserve a better future for the next generation. At the same time, they are building solidarity with those working to protect the environment from policies and legislation that threaten the ability to have a sustainable future.
Visit the Young Workers Conference webpage for more information.