New Presidents Keen on Mobilizing Members
Regardless of whether you lead a Liquor Board Division
local or an OPS composite, there are certain fundamentals to being a
good local president. You need to know what’s expected of you, where to
find resources and help, current strategies for reaching a diverse
membership, approaches to deal with a troublesome management, and basic
OPSEU policy on administering your Local.
The Training and Development Unit runs the New
Presidents’ Orientation twice yearly to address these kinds of
questions. At last week’s New President Orientation (December 4 and 5,
2008) Smokey Thomas watched while participants tried out different
strategies to involve reluctant members. He talked about his own
experience as a local president, and encouraged new presidents to learn
from mistakes as well as successes.
Ten staff resource people from Local Services,
Accounting, Collective Bargaining, Health and Safety, Equity, Membership
Services, Contract Enforcement, Communications and the staff union came
to share resources and ideas with the local presidents. And
facilitators from the Training and Development Unit ran working sessions
with the Presidents on Locating yourselves in OPSEU, developing strong
stewards, talking with members, and strategies for facing management.
It’s the ideas and courage that new presidents take from
each other that may be the most important ingredient of this course.
Back from left: Caden Craig, Ron Banaitis, Rhonda
Watt, Trudy Allen, Pat Heimbecker, Shane Taylor, Gail Ballak, Barb
Thomas (facilitator), Marian Durst, Smokey Thomas (President),
Elaine Young, Candace Graham, Marnie Dickout, Yvon Brazeau, Karen
Preston, Donna Hamilton, Laurie Mulligan, Charlene Cole, Bob Lowry.
Front from left: Kay Singh (facilitator) Ken Hord, Sandi Facciolo,
Vicky Brown, Mike Sullivan, Dave Poholko, Laurie Miller.
New
Presidents’ Orientation
On Dec. 5 - 6, 2007 , the theatre at Head Office
served as a home base to 23 keen local presidents. As participants in OPSEU’s
two-day New Presidents’ Orientation, they were welcomed by a whirlwind of 13
staff representing the services of 11 different units in the union.
The
presidents, a cross-section of members from a wide variety of locals and
regions, gathered to learn more about how to navigate structures within OPSEU,
and to explore their roles in building strong, inclusive locals. Participants
practiced approaches for working with members on their issues in ways that build
solidarity. They also developed strategies for taking on their employers, and
linked the struggle for equity and social justice to their everyday work as
presidents.
The orientation culminated with the
presidents being officially sworn in to office by Ron Lavigne, Executive
Assistant to President Warren (Smokey) Thomas.
Details for 2008’s New Presidents Orientation
will be sent to all locals by mail – stay tuned for further details.
