Education Opportunities - Local & Regional

Pandemic or not, the struggle continues to empower our workfloors to stand strong against CPC’s attempts at undermining our rights. Please read the descriptions below for education opportunities available to our members:

Advanced Shop Steward Course (Local) - Deadline Oct 15

(Option 1) Oct 26-30 (Option 2) Nov 2-6 - The 5-day advanced shop steward course is an opportunity for committed local activists, who are already active shop stewards, to further refine their knowledge and skills. The basic course gave you the tools, the advanced course challenges you to take more of a leading role in our local as someone capable of mentoring and assisting other activists and stewards in their own development. If you have a serious interest in growing as a leader and powerful advocate for your co-workers, this course is the perfect next step.

Application form (physical or digital)

Political Action (Regional) - Deadline Oct 16

Oct 30-Nov 1 - This 2.5 day course aims to help members improve their lobbying, canvassing, outreach and campaign capacity with a focus on municipal and federal politics. Participants learn how to have a more effective impact on their elected representative – through a meeting, strategic direct action, or removing a hostile MP at the ballot box.

Regional application forms (link) must be emailed to union@cupwedm.net or delivered to our local office before the Oct 16 deadline.

Fight Back (Regional) - Deadline Oct 16

Oct 30 - Nov 1 - This 2.5 day course dispels the myth of membership apathy. Participants will learn how to organize and mobilize union members into a powerful force for change. The course explores how to do union work in a way that builds the strength and courage of the membership. The skills learned can be applied to all the tough situations facing our members and our union.

Regional application forms (link) must be emailed to union@cupwedm.net or delivered to our local office before the Oct 16 deadline.

Local President's Report - Oct 2020 - Tearing Down The Wall

Excerpt: "This deliberate process of empowering members at the local level will be the foundation for our union building the capacity and cross-local alliances needed to actually have the power to effectively fight back against CPC and the government… Our collective power is the only leverage we have, but we will never realize that power unless we are willing to be honest about the stakes, and what we are all collectively willing to do to improve our lives. The walls fragmenting our membership are just as fragile as the unjust laws disbanding our pickets -- if we can all pledge to stand together, the mountains before us will erode into dust.”

Full report (link here)

Building Community Alliances to Fight the UCP

From the Alberta Federation of Labour: The Kenney government has been taking Alberta in the wrong direction since they took office. They’ve attacked wages, overtime, worker rights, unions, fired thousands of teachers and education workers, are driving doctors out of the province, and the list goes on.  

Here at the AFL we are organizing and connecting people who have had enough. We are helping people come together and regularly participate in local actions to show their MLA (or closest UCP MLA) that what their government is doing is wrong and we won’t stand for it.  

We will support efforts to coordinate regular actions taking place in your area. Actions will be safe in the context of COVID-19, such as a picket outside the MLA office, chalking outside MLA office, coordinated social media efforts, talking to neighbours and people in your area, and so on.  

By signing up, we will keep you informed so you know of the opportunities to participate. We will also be seeking local leaders who can assist in these teams organizing community-based actions. 

Are you ready to take action? Sign up HERE!