New Presidents’ Orientation
 

New Presidents tackle local issues

June 2008

In the theatre of 100 Lesmill, new presidents were grappling with the everyday issues of their locals – where to find out the status of a current grievance; how to explain OPSEU to new employees; where to go for help on discrimination and harassment; how to recruit new stewards; how to communicate with disgruntled members; how to deal with management incompetence (and sometimes malice).

It was the New Presidents’ two-day orientation, held twice a year, usually in June and December. This time, half of the 24 participants were from OPS locals who are in bargaining this year. But they learned that brothers and sisters present from Liquor Board, Developmental Services, and CAAT locals are also in negotiations.

Staff people from ten different units, offered advice and resources. The course also uses case studies, the Local Assessment Tool developed from the Building Local Capacity Project. These and other activities support presidents to learn from each other as well as from the resource people and facilitators. In the course of some of that conversation, the new presidents developed some tips for recruiting and developing stewards .

Presidents were officially sworn in by Peggy Maybury, Executive Assistant to Vice-President Patty Rout.

The next New Presidents’ orientation will be in early December, 2008.

Participants in the New Presidents' Orientation, June 12, 13, 2008, and staff of the Training and Development Unit. From left to right: Dave Holmes, Local 163; Marta Palamoudian-Alas, Local 567; Amy Clements, Local 518; Barb Thomas, staff; Barb Friday, Local 701; Mario Dicaire, Local 426; Allen Bibby, Local 434; Steve Allen, Local 121; Laurie McLachlan, Local 675; Shamel Shokralla, Local 510; Colleen MacLeod, Local 5107; Sam Maga, Local 240; Randy Brousseau, Local 635; Lana Hicks, Local 606; Stacey Tomblin, Local 309; Richard Chapman, Local 342; Helen Haggith, Local 154; Jim Mitchell, Local 616; Elaine Crowley, Local 251; Anita Porter, Local 509; Lorna Bulgin, Local 102; Kay Singh, staff; Betty Stevens, staff; Geraldine Ryan, T&D; Gary Cooper, Local 208; Ann Pereira, Local 222. Absent, Boghos Yazedjian, Local 536.