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- Dates:
- Saturday March 8, 2025 (9:00 am – 4:30 pm)
- Sunday March 9, 2025 (9:00 am – 2:00 pm)
- Application deadline:
- Location:
- Marriott on the Falls – 6755 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2G 3W7
The Region 2 Education Committee is are pleased to announce that the next Region 2 Weekend Education Session will be held on Saturday, March 8, 2025 (9:00 am – 4:30 pm), and Sunday, March 9, 2025 (9:00 am – 2:00 pm) in Niagara Falls at the Marriott on the Falls, 6755 Fallsview Blvd.
To register, please complete the following by Wednesday, February 5, 2025:
- Complete this online registration form Note: Please consider yourself registered for the weekend education upon submission of your registration form.
- Book your Overnight Accommodation by clicking on this link: Book your group rate for OPSEU Note: If you plan to stay at the hotel Friday (members living more than 60 km from the hotel) and/or Saturday (all members) please book your hotel room at the same time you complete your education session registration.
- If needed, complete and email the Human Rights Accommodation Request Form to equity@opseu.org
- If needed, complete and email the Child Care Registration Form to lhills@opseu.org by Monday, February 10, 2025.
- The link to our Online Advance Request Form will be emailed to you with confirmation of the course you are registered Please note that requests for advances must be submitted no later than Friday, February 14, 2025, 4:30 PM.
Note: lost wages will not be reimbursed for the weekend education.
Should you have any questions please reach out to lhills@opseu.org.
We look forward to seeing you in Niagara!
In Solidarity,
Region 2 Education Committee
Offered classes (in person only)
Advanced Grievance Handling for Union Building
Does your local have a grievance committee? Can your experience in handling a grievance help to build the local? Can you use your knowledge of common grievance issues to raise awareness at demand setting meetings? Have you ever thought of what it is like to be on the Employer side of the table? These are some of the topics that will be explored in the NEW Advanced Grievance Handling for Union Building course.
Participants will get the opportunity to practice being on the Union’s team and the Employer’s Team as they work through some scenarios. Building on the Basic Grievance Handling for Union Building course, this course focuses on expanding both the steward’s and local’s ability to process grievances from start to finish.
Through active interviewing process, participants will explore how to identify grievances, practice negotiating settlements and draft realistic, enforceable grievance settlements. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements to the course.
Challenging Bullying and Non-Code-Based Harassment in the Workplace
Is bullying and psychological harassment an issue in your workplace? This course will help you recognize the signs of bullying and a toxic workplace. This course looks at case law and other tools helpful in understanding the impact of workplace bullying. Participants will strengthen their capacity to respond to co-workers and pressure employers to tackle bullying and harassment in their workplace.
Dismantling Anti-Black Racism (DABR)
The Dismantling Anti-Black Racism course will raise awareness, provide a better understanding, and include strategies to dismantle anti-Black racism (ABR). It explores what anti-Black racism is and provides Black history highlights for a deeper understanding of the history of slavery and its impacts today. The course addresses the need to confront white supremacy. Participants will understand how colonization and the socially constructed concept of race has affected Black people. Additionally, the course highlights past, present and future efforts to address anti-Black racism in the workplace and in OPSEU/SEFPO.
In this introductory course, participants will develop skills and strategies in order to identify and intervene in situations of anti-Black racism. They will use case studies, videos, and real life scenarios to navigate difficult conversations. Participants will also have access to current terminology and be provided with tools to have (ABR) discussions that are important to engage in, especially with family members, fellow union members, neighbours and co-workers. This course will equip participants with the knowledge and ability to take action against anti-Black racism in our union.
This course is a core OPSEU/SEFPO educational component that is valuable for all union activists to attend.
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?
Participants 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.
Public Speaking – Finding Your Voice, Connecting with Your Audience
Have you ever felt intimidated when you are a speaker in front of a large group? Have you ever wondered what you need to consider when planning and preparing a short presentation for the public? Whether you’d like to strengthen your presentation skills, look more confident and credible, define your core message, organize your thoughts, or find new and effective ways to collaborate with your team, this course will give you practical skills you need to communicate successfully. You will have an opportunity to practice and hone your presentation skills in a small group setting while concentrating on your message and target audience.
Stewards 1: Making a Difference in the Workplace
This course will build and strengthen the skills of a steward. Participants will explore the role of the steward throughout the bargaining cycle, including organizing their local, having effective one-on-one conversations, developing a communications strategy to enlist diverse member involvement, and learning strategies for everyday workplace problems.
Throughout the course, participants are supported as they develop a profile of their members, find resources and information in OPSEU/SEFPO, and understand their role in the grievance process. Stewards 1 is a prerequisite to Stewards 2. Participants should bring their collective agreements.
Stewards 2: Facing the Employer, Building Member Involvement
Prerequisite: Stewards 1
This follow-up to Stewards 1 focuses on investigating and writing a grievance, facing management, and involving members in worksite action. Participants will use their own collective agreements to identify grievances. They will become immersed in a case study in order to interview a grievor, write up a grievance, face the employer at a step 1 and make a presentation on safety issues to the union side of the Joint Health and Safety Committee. They will examine the elements of effective mobilization and develop a campaign strategy for a local. Participants should bring their collective agreements.
Taking Action on Workplace Stress
Is your work stressing you out? If so, you’re not alone. In Canada, one in four workers report feeling highly stressed at work. Factors such as excessive demands, lack of control, precarious work, inadequate resources and support, and workplace bullying and harassment can all took their toll on the well-being of workers.
Participants will be able to identify workplace factors that negatively affect workers’ health and wellbeing and gain familiarity with terminology associated with workplace stress. The course will help to develop strategies for influencing change in the workplace as well as examine ways to work with your union to address and resolve workplace stress issues.
Meal Expenses
- Breakfast: $22
- Lunch: $30
- Dinner $39
Travel Expenses
Round-trip mileage at the rate of:
- 60 cents/km. if driving alone;
- 65 cents/km. if driving with 1 OPSEU / SEFPO member as a passenger;
- 70 cents/km. if driving with 2 OPSEU / SEFPO members as passengers;
- 75 cents/km. if driving with 3 OPSEU / SEFPO members as passengers;
- 80 cents/km. if driving with 4 OPSEU / SEFPO members as passengers
Hotel Accommodation
Members who live beyond 60 km are entitled to room accommodation for Friday and Saturday night(s).
Members who live within 60 km are entitled to room accommodation for Saturday night only.
Members are reimbursed for hotel accommodation and are responsible for making their own reservations and for paying the full cost of the room at checkout (keep your receipts). Members are also responsible to cancel their room if necessary, in accordance with hotel cancellation policies. Cancellation fees will not be paid for by OPSEU/SEFPO except in cases where there are extenuating circumstances.
****If you book your hotel room past the deadline, any increases to the hotel cost will be the responsibility of the member.
Parking costs are reimbursed – overnight parking can be added to your hotel bill. Provide the registration desk with your license plate number.
Click Here to Book your group rate for OPSEU by FEBRUARY 5, 2025
Human Rights Accommodation
“The Accommodation Fund was created to encourage and facilitate greater participation of those covered under the Ontario Human Rights Code. The fund will cover extra costs related to a member’s disability, illness or other grounds under the Code. For example, the Fund would cover the extra cost of a fridge in a hotel room for a member required to store medications at a particular temperature.
Requests for accommodation can be identified on your application of the Human Rights Accommodation Request Form, included in the application form. This form can be sent directly to the Equity Unit by fax 416-448-7419 or email: equity@opseu.org
Cancellation Policy
Not Attending Event
In accordance with OPSEU/SEFPO Policy, notification by a member to cancel course attendance should be received by both the Local President and the Regional Office no later than 48 hours before commencement of the regional school (i.e. no later than 4:30 P.M. on the Wednesday prior to the weekend school).
When a member does not attend and the Regional office has not been notified 48 hours prior to the school’s commencement, the member will be assessed a $50.00 penalty.
Extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
**Hotel Cancellation
Members who have booked a hotel room are responsible for cancelling their reservations at the hotel within the time limits as stated by the hotel when the booking is made.
Advances
The link to our Online Advance Request Form will be emailed to you with confirmation of the course you are registered in. Please note that requests for advances must be submitted no later than FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025, 4:30 PM.
Family Attendant Care (Child / Elder / Dependent)
Complete the the child care form for on-site child care and return to lhills@opseu.org. Child Care registrations must be received by Monday, February 10, 2025.
Children who are not registered for child care may not be accommodated if brought to the event
Cancellations must be emailed to lhills@opseu.org by Monday, March 3, 2025 Parents must be on-site at all times when utilizing child care provided by OPSEU/SEPFO.
When you bring children with you:
Members are entitled to claim the full cost of their hotel room, and meal expenses for children aged 12 years and under at 50% of OPSEU / SEFPO’s standard meal allowance rates. Children ages 13–16 are entitled to meal expenses at the standard rates.
*Note: Children must be registered and signed in by member, in OPSEU/SEFPO’s day care for reimbursement of meal claims.
When care is provided in your home:
Members will be reimbursed for Family Care at the rate of $15.00 per hour to a maximum of
$220.00 within a 24 hour period, while doing union business. It is recognized that to guarantee meaningful access to union activities, child care both day and night may be necessary. Please specify hours claimed for each day.
Members are entitled to reimbursement of reasonable costs of family/attendant care (child/elder/dependent) provided by someone other than their partners/spouses as a result of absences from home arising from the conduct of union business. Such allowances are not intended to reimburse members for family care expenses that they would have normally incurred as a result of employment, except where the absence exceeds the normal work day or week.
Claims must be signed by the service provider and may be verified by Head Office before payment is made.
Allergy Alert
Scent, Peanuts and Nut-Free Policy
Workers are becoming sensitized to chemicals, scented products and certain foods such as peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, walnuts, many chocolate bars and energy/nutrition bars.
For many individuals, attending conferences, meetings etc. and being exposed to perfumes, other strong scents and certain foods can pose serious health risks such as asthma attacks, respiratory problems and/or migraine headaches.
In the interest of the health and safety of the sisters and brothers whose health may suffer from any of these exposures, we ask that you refrain from wearing or using scented products, peanut and nut products at all OPSEU/SEFPO events and OPSEU/SEFPO locations.
