2016 Winter School Report to Members
Feb.28/16
Kirsten Dann – Secretary/Treasurer
I want to thank everyone for your continued support in sending our members to union education events.
Morgan and I recently attended CUPE Winter School which is held each year in Gimli. For those members who have no experience with a school like this, here is a quick idea of what it is like. Thursday evening following registration, we attended opening plenary where we are welcomed and the rules and expectations are reviewed. Former CUPE president, Paul Moist was a guest speaker this year. This was followed by the first sessions of our workshops and then an opportunity to relax and socialize with other attendees. Morgan and I sat in the lounge, ate some dinner and watched the last period of the Jets game with a few other members. Friday and Saturday we spent all day (9am to 4pm) in workshop sessions and Saturday night we were treated to a delicious banquet and social evening which included ‘skits’ put on by each of the classes. These are usually done during closing plenary after a quick follow-up session Sunday morning before everyone heads home, but due to scheduling conflicts it was agreed (as much as anyone agrees to do these skits) to have them Saturday night.
This year, Morgan took the Conflict Resolution workshop which focused on understanding where conflict comes from and why, and provided tools to effectively respond to conflict. Communication is key when handling any sort of conflict and although the skills can be used in everyday life, the scenarios and roll-playing exercises used during this workshop were geared towards the goal of resolving conflict between members.
I took Using Our Power at Election Time. This workshop provided opportunities to discuss past and present political issues and how these affect union business and our members and also encouraged members to be or become more engaged in campaigns – be it political, social or union centered. Communication was also a huge part of the workshop including public speaking and debates, analyzing newspaper articles and political statistics and understanding the power of social media.
Dave Gaudreau, who is a provincial NDP MLA from Winnipeg, was the guest speaker at lunch on Saturday and after lunch he joined the Power at Election Time workshop to provide us with some insight into his personal experiences on the campaign trail.
Participation at events such as Winter School, Summer School and Conventions and education sessions not only provide valuable educational materials and experience with things like public speaking, advocating for members rights and health and safety but it also allows us to network with members from other locals both in our own sector and from other sectors and develop relationships that strengthen CUPE as a whole. Solidarity is strength in numbers, working together for common goals.
We appreciate the opportunity to attend events like these and thank you for your continued support. If any members are interested in attending education sessions or schools please let us know. There are many different opportunities throughout the year on a variety of subjects and we are even looking at the possibility of offering a stewarding session specifically for the members of local 4214 in the near future.