The Region 1 Weekend Educational will run Saturday, July 13 from 9:00am-5:00pm & Sunday, July 14 from 9:00am-1:00pm, at the Sunbridge Hotel in Sarnia, Ontario.
Registration Deadline is Friday June 14 at 4:30pm
Course Descriptions
Stewards 1: Making a Difference in the Workplace
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 Basic Grievance Handling for Union Building.
*Participants should bring their collective agreements.
Basic Grievance Handling for Union Building
This course is designed to examine the grievance process from a workplace organizing perspective. Grievances are opportunities to build the union. This hands-on course helps members analyze situations to decide whether a grievance is the best approach.
They will learn about different types of grievances and the remedies available through the grievance/arbitration process. They will develop technical skills in writing, processing grievances and practice communication to assess whether a member’s rights have been violated.
*Participants should bring their Collective Agreements to the course.
Organizing to Win
The Organizing to Win workshop 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 network building, examine best practices, discuss organizing strategies and practise the one-on-one conversations that are at the core of internal organizing. Together we will build our power to create a movement that ensures all workers’ rights are respected.
The following two courses will be combined:
Poverty, Economics & Racism
Participants will develop an understanding of the impact of poverty, economics and racism on women and commit to challenge poverty and inequality in their communities and workplaces.
An Introduction to Gender Identity & Expression
The aim of this course is to educate union members on the concept of Gender Identity and Gender Expression. Hopefully the knowledge gained in this course will help union members break down barriers around Gender Identity and Gender Expression in the union environments and elsewhere.