Français
Quick Links

PYC hosts annual International Youth Day event – Lobby For Your Future!

March 21, 2014

Participants engaged in various participatory exercises, conversations, video clips and were treated to a series of dynamic panelists and presentations. Invited guest speakers who came out to share their stories included:

  • Brigette DePape, a former participant in the Canadian Senate Page Program in 2011 who infamously held the "Stop Harper" sign during the Throne Speech in the Senate;
  • Kathleen Quinn, an independent journalist and activist with Operation Maple;
  • Amy Huziak, National Representative for Young Workers with the Canadian Labour Congress;
  • Julian Benson and Elizabeth Ha, OPSEU members and fervent activists in their locals and communities; and
  • Luisa Quarta, Marnie Niemi-Hood and Megan Park, OPSEU staff members who generously lent their invaluable experience and expertise on the event"s theme.

At the end of the event, OPSEU young workers left with a better understanding of lobbying tools and strategies for use in their communities. They are now able to raise awareness on the challenges that young workers continue to face. One of the methods to achieve this is to use specific social media tools to assist in lobbying workers around these challenges.

Resources from the conference

You Tube clips screened at the conference











OPSEU"s Provincial Young Workers" Committee (PYC) hosted its 6th annual International Youth Day event from August 13-14, 2013. This year"s event theme Lobby For Your Future! welcomed over 60 new and seasoned union activists from across the province. It was expanded to two full days, a first for this year, and focused on building community through political action. In addition, the event"s overall objective explored ways of tapping into the strength of an audience and shared experiences of different ways people have lobbied in their respective regions. Participants were able to develop concrete tactics to effectively lobby for their future. The following is a list of specific goals that were outlined

  • identified different ways in which people lobby;
  • explained why young workers as union activists should care about lobbying;
  • shared different perspectives on lobbying using social media tools; and
  • developed concrete strategies to lobby in their respective communities.

Participants engaged in various participatory exercises, conversations, video clips and were treated to a series of dynamic panelists and presentations. Invited guest speakers who came out to share their stories included:

  • Brigette DePape, a former participant in the Canadian Senate Page Program in 2011 who infamously held the "Stop Harper" sign during the Throne Speech in the Senate;
  • Kathleen Quinn, an independent journalist and activist with Operation Maple;
  • Amy Huziak, National Representative for Young Workers with the Canadian Labour Congress;
  • Julian Benson and Elizabeth Ha, OPSEU members and fervent activists in their locals and communities; and
  • Luisa Quarta, Marnie Niemi-Hood and Megan Park, OPSEU staff members who generously lent their invaluable experience and expertise on the event"s theme.

At the end of the event, OPSEU young workers left with a better understanding of lobbying tools and strategies for use in their communities. They are now able to raise awareness on the challenges that young workers continue to face. One of the methods to achieve this is to use specific social media tools to assist in lobbying workers around these challenges.

Resources from the conference

You Tube clips screened at the conference











Join us