Members of OPSEU/SEFPO’s PSW Community were inspired by guest speaker Olivia Chow to “flex your political muscles” at the second PSW Virtual Gathering last week.
As the founder of the Institute for Change Leaders and former MP for Trinity-Spadina, Chow has a wealth of experience advocating for workers, and teaching them how to advocate for themselves. She shared her experiences with training early childhood education workers (ECEs) how to advocate for better working conditions and more access to child care. As a result of political action by ECEs and advocates across Canada, we now have a national child care program being rolled out with nine provinces.
With a provincial election coming up, she encouraged OPSEU/SEFPO PSW Community members to get involved and advocate for better working conditions in their own profession as well. “Something happens to politicians when their job is on the line,” said Chow. “You are interviewing them. You have the power. The interview period is this May [during the election campaign].”
PSWs also received updates from Laura Bulmer, OPSEU/SEFPO PSW Advocate and Researcher on the following issues:
- The results of our survey on a standardized professional title for PSWs
- OPSEU/SEFPO PSW participation in a University of Waterloo research study
- Updates on the evolution of the PSW role in Ontario and the National Occupational Standards for the profession
- Palliative care training in all Ontario PSW programs
- The winners of the PSW Community membership drive
Bulmer also shared that the group has been renamed “OPSEU/SEFPO PSW Community” instead of “PSW Network” in order to avoid confusion with the already established Canadian PSW Network.
You can find the OPSEU/SEFPO PSW Community online at http://opseu.org/psw-community. Please share this link with any of your OPSEU/SEFPO PSW colleagues who haven’t signed up for the PSW Community yet and encourage them to sign up. Let’s keep our community growing!
For more information about the PSW Community, contact Laura Bulmer at [email protected] or 416-788-1356.