UNION EDUCATION
BCGEU's Education Course Offerings
BCGEU’s workplace leaders—our stewards, local officers and bargaining committee members—have access to a comprehensive education program to help them develop skills and expertise to represent members in the workplace.
Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) Education Fund
For information on the Facilities Bargaining Association (FBA) Education Fund click here.
Spring Labour Institute, April 30, May 1 and 2
Click here for more information
Basic Steward Training
For new shop stewards, this three-day course provides skills and knowledge needed to:
- Recognize violations of workers’ rights by the employer;
- Advocate on members’ behalf before the employer; and
- Communicate effectively with workers, managers, and union staff, and
- An overview of the history/structure of the union and the Workplace Leadership program.
It also identifies resources available to stewards to support their efforts. This course is organized through BCGEU Area Offices. New stewards who have not yet been contacted to receive training should call their area office for information on the next available session of the course.
Steward Technical Sessions
Organized through your local Area Office (and for stewards not near an Area Office – through conference call) stewards will meet and go through a two (2) hour audio conference on various subjects ranging from Progressive Discipline to Duty to Accommodate. You receive the latest arbitration cases and background on the issue. You will have the ability to talk about grievances you may have on the subject, network with other stewards and speak with the Staff Representative on issues. Contact your Area Office as to when the next session is.
Local Steward Committees
Through the Workplace Leadership initiatives, some locals have opportunities for stewards in their local to gather, discuss grievances and network to find solutions. Specific subject may form part of the meeting such as “How to prepare WCB applications” or “letters of expectation” and may include material and/or a guest speaker. Check with your Local Chair to see if a committee has been set.
Advanced Steward Training
Building on the skills stewards taught in Basic Steward Training and work place experience, this course focuses on conflict resolution, bargaining with management, and advocacy before management. Simulated grievance settlement meetings—which test and strengthen stewards’ skills in a supportive environment—are a central part of the course.
This course is also organized through BCGEU Area Offices. PRE-REQUISITE: You must have dealt with issues in the workplace with the employer and/or filed some grievances. As well, you should have attended a steward technical session in your area.
Local Officer Training
This course provides elected local officers with the tools they need to be effective work place leaders and to carry out their specific duties as local chairpersons, recording secretaries, financial secretaries and executive members. Participants learn to:
- Facilitate effective meetings;
- Speak well in public settings; and
- Develop strategic plans for workplace and community action campaigns.
Information on the next session of this course in your area is available from your BCGEU Area Office.
Labour Management Training/Private and Broad Public Sector
This course was developed to assist committees in understanding their roles and responsibilities, conflict and problem solving techniques, effective communication and conducting an effective labour management meeting and what the parameters are of the committee. Employers can be included in the course should the situation warrant. Contact your Staff Representative at your Area Office.
Member Facilitators Training
Most courses offered by the BCGEU have a staff and a member co-facilitating. We take you through the concepts and philosophies of labour, popular and adult education. The course walks you through how to "think equity" in all your courses, facilitators' tools, responsibilities and challenges, effective communication, and processes and techniques. At the completion you will be expected to co-facilitate Basic Stewards' courses, short modules to locals and co-facilitate at conferences.
Prerequisite: You must be recommended by the Regional Coordinator, have been active as a Steward for at least 4 years and have your Advanced Steward training, active in your Local, and be very comfortable presenting and speaking in front of groups. This course is 2 days and is scheduled by the Education Officer.
Conflict Resolution and Assertiveness in dealing with Management
This 3 hour course includes discussion and group work around the changing and evolving relationships between management and the union, and the influences that affect both; learning the five types of common behaviour exhibited in conflict, and how to deal with it by knowing what assertive behaviour is and how to use it make your relationship with your management more effective. and hopefully more responsive.
Surviving Media Interviews
A interactive course that puts you in front of the camera! As union activists we may end up in front of a TV camera or a microphone. Activists are on the front lines in campaigns, strikes, bargaining, rallies and issues facing our communities. We show you how to alleviate your fears, simplify preparation, sticking to the message and being comfortable in front of a camera and microphone.
You get to practice in front of a real camera and microphone and see yourself on TV. Lots of fun in a safe environment. Great for Locals or worksites that may be going on strike or prior to a campaign.
Length: 3 hours.
Public Speaking
As union activists, we often find ourselves in situations where we have to speak at a convention, rally or at a Local meeting. We'll show you how to have confidence, develop a message and deliver the speech. You will be able to speak to your audience and speak comfortably. We'll work not with your fears, but with your strengths. A fun and interactive workshop. Contact your area office to see if the course can be done at your next Local meeting. Great for Locals. Length: 3 hours.
Harassment/Discrimination and Bullying
This interactive workshop can be done jointly with the employer or with the membership at the worksite. Learn what the prohibited grounds are under the Human Rights Code, the language that addresses harassment, discrimination and abuse of supervisory authority in collective agreements. You will look at policies and procedures the employer has in place. You will do some interactive exercises and disseminate some case studies in a video. In conjunction with this is a power point presentation on bullying, with amazing facts and definitions and what we can do about this prolific behaviour in our workplaces. Contact your area office to see if this course can be done in your workplace or at your Local. Length: 3 hours.
Health and Safety Committee Training
For members of Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committees or health and safety representatives. In this two-day session participants learn about:
- The laws regulating work place safety and health;
- How to conduct safety inspections in the work place; and
- How to make OH&S committees work effectively.
JOHS Committee members in the public service may enrol in this joint course at the Public Service Agency website.
OH&S Committee members employed in the broader public sector and the private sector should contact their BCGEU Area Office for more information on upcoming sessions.
Violence Prevention Training
For Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) Committee members. This one-day course shows how to use office design, work organization, engineering measures as well as workplace policies and procedures to reduce the risk of workplace violence.
In the public service, JOHS Committee members may enrol in this joint course at the Public Service Agency website.
Committee members employed in the broader public sector and the private sector should contact their BCGEU Area Office for more information on upcoming sessions.
OH&S Facilitator Training
For public service JOHS Committee members. Activists are recommended by their respective component executives.
The five-day course trains activists to facilitate and instruct the JOHS Committee Training course. Participants gain their teaching skills and valuable teaching experience and expand their knowledge of the legislative and historical framework of current health and safety regulations.
A separate one-day course teaches facilitators how to deliver an Office Ergonomics Assessment course.
Both theses facilitator training courses are delivered jointly by the public service employer and the union.
Bargaining Committee Training
For bargaining committee members this course helps activists advocate for members during the bargaining process, review roles and responsibilities and the bargaining process from start to finish. Contact the Staff Representative assigned to your bargaining.
Audio Conferences
Audio Conferences are organized and run out of your area offices. This informative tool is great for Stewards, Local Officers, or even someone who is interested in being a steward. These sessions consist of a 1.5-2 hour audio on a specific subject. The panels are made up of management and labour and each present their perspectives. They talk about the leading cases in the specified subject and what employers and unions are doing within these scopes. You also receive a large package of all the subject information.
If you have a group of people and would like to get together to listen to an audio conference, please contact your area office. Or call the office and ask when the next one will be held. They are open to anyone. Be advised that these audio conferences must be ordered from the Education Department and can only be listened to at the area offices. A staff Representative will attend to stop and start the conference so that the group can discuss aspects and views that have been brought up in the panels.
DVD/VHS Library
The Education Department has many videos and DVDs available for Locals to view. Use them as part of your Local meetings to get more people out...have popcorn during the video and make it accessible for everyone. Run the video at a worksite or for a particular worksite within your Local.
Take a look at the list and if there is something of interest that you would like to use in your Local, contact the Education Department and order the video and it will be signed out to you, or the area office, and to be returned when you are finished.
Click here for the Union Education Photo Gallery
Click here for the BCGEU Education, Activism and Communications Committee.
The committee has a broad mandate to promote awareness of union education programs and to make recommendations to the Provincial Executive on union education programs and communications.
