PSAC NRC Education Committee

Item / Discussion / Decision / Follow-up

PSAC-NCR Education Committee

Minutes of the November 15th Meeting

In attendance:

Chantal Fortin (USGE) Chair

Amber Miller (GSU)

Vicki-Lynn Smith (UTE)

John Murphy (CEIU)

Judith Lewis (NHU)

Charlotte Jacobs (NHU)

Mark Scott (USGE)

Michèle Milotte (UNE)

Ken Zarichansky (UPCE)

Staff Resource: Johanne Labine

Regrets:

Maria Fitzpatrick (USGE)

Sara Cousins (UTE)

Guests:

Nadia and Jill O’Reilly: ACORN

Chris MacDonald: Director CLC-Ontario Region

Item / Discussion / Decision / Follow-up
Item / Discussion / Decision / Follow-up

Agenda

/ The agenda was reviewed and approved.

Conversation with Guests

/ ACORN shared thoughts on their leadership development strategy. Of note:

ACORN always builds in an action as part of their leadership training.
ACORN Organizers rely on ACORN leaders to make the second contact with new members.
ACORN staff also receives the same training that ACORN leaders receive.

Chris MacDonald shared details of the CLC Ontario Education strategy. Of note:

CLC interested in offering materials which would be useful to Affiliates.
They were 450 participants in the 2010 CLC Ontario Region Schools.
They will be organizing a CLC-Ontario Region School in Northern Ontario in April 2012.
They have developed some new materials: Building Pension Activism; The Changing Face of the Labour Movement; Social Media Skills; Young Workers in Action; CLC Municipal Candidate Training; CLC Lobbying Course.
They would be interested in exploring the possibility of holding a fall 2012 Ontario-Region School in the Ottawa area.

Minutes of Previous meeting

/ Adopted with corrections. / REO to request translation and post on web site

Committee Chair Update

Chantal provided an update on the regional council meeting. She attempted to get feedback from the participants on the education program. There were limited responses because the schedule was so full that participants did not have much time.
She will provide a copy of her committee report on request. It is available on the NCR website.

REO Update

We offered a lobbying course adjacent to the NCRC.
A young workers (under 35) TUB course is being offered December 1st and 2nd. So far, we have 13 members registered.
CIU is offering a TUB on the same date as the young workers TUB. They are paying for this course, using our facilities and reps.
There are 58 registrations for the two day Steward Symposium. People can still apply. It was hoped that there would be 100 participants but 58 is still a good turn out. The NDP Treasury Board critic is not available to be a keynote speaker but will send his political attaché.
The Human Rights School Organizing committee has met and set-out the school objectives, content and workshop choices. There are 42 applications with room for 60 people. There are members who are registered who will be participating in their first union course.
The steward’s module on communicating with members had 10 people show up. It is noted that many are tired after the work day.
The December 12 session may be a celebration of the work of stewards.

Advanced Health and Safety course

/ Vicki Lynn provided a summary of the advanced health and safety course. She noted the following concerns:

It appeared that many of the participants did not have the background to participate in an advanced course.
Some participants said the course was too intense. This could be because they did not have the background for an advanced course.
Registrants for advanced courses should be screened to ensure that they are suitable for advanced level courses.
There were 22 participants for this in-residence course.
It is possible that some of the inexperienced participants were there because they did not have an opportunity to take beginner level courses.

The REO provided additional information. The traditional health and safety training provided in the NCR has not been H&S activist training. In discussion with the NCR H&S Program, the intent of this course was to develop an activist approach to H&S rather than technical skills. The selection decision was made by the facilitation team accordingly. The layout of the course schedule on the web site (course schedule is in one document and course descriptions are in another document) may have contributed to participants not understanding that this would not be a technical course. Johanne suggested that it may be necessary to re-evaluate how courses are announced on the education schedule.
Members noted that there are different needs for health and safety training in the region.
The health and safety committee will examine what health and safety training is required in 2012. / Johanne will re-evaluate how courses are published on the NCR website.
6.December 14th education planning meeting / There is $2,000 left in the 2011 budget. It is possible that if it is not spent by the education committee it will be returned to the NCRC budget. Alternatively, the money may be available if the committee has a plan for its use in the new year.
It was suggested that the planning meeting be limited to ½ day. We will not have enough funds to do many education activities in 2012.
Although budget estimates are prepared for each schedule, there is a three month delay in the production of financial statements. The REO re-adjusted estimated expenses thinking that the initial ones were too high. They were not. The region will not short on money for education activities, but care should be taken when planning activities.
In addition, it may be more difficult to obtain money from other sections of the PSAC in 2012 given our current financial situation.
The joint school with the CLC proposed for this fall will be a major expense.
2012 is the end of the three year budget cycle. The region may have a budget increase for the next three year cycle starting in 2013.
The committee decided that:

The meeting be restricted to Chantal, Johanne, Michèle, Amber and Charlotte.
The meeting will be a ½ day meeting in the afternoon.

Other ideas to explore with Committee funds:
The PSAC license for webinars is housed in the PSAC HQ. It was suggested that the education committee could nominate a member to take webinar training at the regional office. This would allow the committee to offer webinar’s as part of the education program. /

Chantal to confirm if money from the education budget can be carried over to the next year.
If the money can be carried over, Chantal will prepare a proposal for the use of the money.

7. Seasonal gathering / It was agreed to repeat the education committee seasonal gathering. The seasonal gathering cost about $300 last year. Vicki-Lynn will help with the organization.
This year’s gathering will be on December 17 at 18h00.
AF’s and the education committee will be invited. If space remains, other education participants will be invited.
Committee members are requested to provide Chantal with suggestions for a restaurant. The committee will pay for the food but not the beverages. / Chantal to determine a location for the gathering.
8.Next meeting / The next meeting of the Education committee will be on January 17, 2012.
9. Envirobus / The Envirobus is a free bus service operated by Environment Canada and recently offered to Health Canada to transport people between Ottawa and Gatineau
10. Generic work descriptions / Health Canada will be providing information sessions on a new generic work description initiative. Nobody on the committee is aware of any initiatives related to generic work descriptions.
11. Adjournment / The meeting was adjourned at 20h20.