OPSEU Region 4 Education

Region 4's Education Committee recently met to plan out the courses to be offered in the various locations within the region over the period of the next year. The goal is to offer a variety of courses on a scheduled basis to allow members to plan accordingly to best meet their educational needs.

One notable change will be that the 'Stewardship I' course will no longer be offered at the regional schools. Instead, Stewardship will be offered as one-day sessions, three times a year, out of each regional office. Please be aware that the stewardship courses will not run with less than ten participants and the target size for the educational classes is at least 15. In addition to this, any local or group with 15 or more confirmed participants now have the option of organizing their own session by contacting their staff representative. This schedule will give members the ability to access courses sooner while also allowing the courses to be more tailored to the participants.

We are continuing to run two Regional Educationals a year, both in the spring and fall. The dates will be scheduled well in advance, including location and courses. The hope is that our members will easily be able to schedule around these dates, make the necessary arrangements to attend if interested, and also, plan which courses best suit their needs. Feel free to make suggestions around what courses you would like to see offered.

If you are new to OPSEU and you are an enrolled participant, come to our Orientation session being held on the Friday evening prior to our Regional Educationals. Meet your EBMs, your provincial equity chairs, and some of our staff representatives. This session will speak to what it means to be part of OPSEU and give members the opportunity to discuss the issues of their choice. You will have the opportunity to find out what your provincial committees are working on, what is being discussed at the Board, and to give your opinion.

It is imperative that members only register for courses when they are certain they can attend. Much organization goes into these courses, including the time of both members and staff. We have also had to turn people away to the last few sessions. Please inform your local president and/or staff rep as soon as possible if you discover you are unable to attend. We understand that unscheduled events do occasionally arise, but we continue to struggle with no-shows enough that conversation has taken place as to how attendance can be confirmed without having to resort to levying fines against the local.
Please find attached the schedule for Region 4's upcoming educational events. Share with your members… and we hope to see you at one soon!

In Solidarity,
Your Education Committee:
Maria Wysocki, Bob Cook,
Henry Brugma, Cathy Wright,
David Lundy, Lynn Orzel

REGION 4 EDUCATIONAL SCHEDULE

Stewardship Courses: