OPSEU/SEFPO Region 1 is offering a Virtual Weekend Educational, via Zoom on:
- Saturday, March 12, 2022 – 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday, March 13, 2022 – 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m.
The following courses are being offered:
Basic Grievance Handling
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 practicing communication to assess whether a member’s rights have
been violated. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements to the course.
New Course: Dismantling Anti-Black Racism
The Dismantling Anti-Black Racism course will raise awareness, provide a better understanding, and include strategies to dismantle
anti-Black racism (ABR). It explores the topics of 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 have 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, neighbors, 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.
Local Treasurer’s Course
This course is aimed at Local Treasurers and Trustees who are either NEW to the role or experienced members who are seeking a
“refresher course”. The goal is to give the necessary tools and education to Local Treasurers and Trustees in order for them to fulfill
their roles in the Local. It will also draw on members’ experiences to solve problems occurring with the administration of Local funds.
Newly Updated: Mental Health: Challenging the Stigma in the Workplace
As workers and labour activists, we are faced with economic, social, and political changes in our workplaces that impact our mental
wellbeing on a daily basis. We all respond differently to situations that impact our lives and subsequently, our mental health.
This introductory course explores mental health, mental health concerns, and stigma in the workplace. Some of the topics covered
in this course include: demystifying mental health; individual, union, and employer responsibilities; member-to-member issues; and
some strategies to challenge stigma and build inclusion.
Stewards 1 & Duty to Accommodate (2 hrs)
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.
Duty to Accommodate: A Tool for Inclusive Workplaces (2-hour Online session)
Provincial legislation and existing case law require employers and unions to provide accommodation short of undue hardship. This
interactive course examines the roles and responsibilities of the employer, the union, and the member in accommodating members
with disabilities and all other protected groups under the Ontario Human Rights Code. It builds activists’ skills to support members
requiring accommodation, and to deal with employer resistance to accommodation in the workplace.
Registration package:
Completed application forms must be emailed to Lisa Baker at lbaker@opseu.org
Application Deadline is: Monday February 28, 2022 @ 4:30 p.m.