Local Educationals

How to sponsor and run Local Educationals for your OPSEU Member Group

OPSEU is committed to providing education that is accessible and meaningful to all members. The Local Education Policy gives any body recognized under OPSEU's Constitution the right to apply for funding and staff assistance to provide education to member groups at the local level.

Interested Groups must apply to the Regional Education Committee using the enclosed Application Form.

SECTION THREE
LOCAL EDUCATIONALS

3.1 OPSEU is committed to expanding educational programs at the local level to allow for increased participation from a larger number of members.

3.2 Family and Dependant Care: To encourage the participation of members with family responsibilities, and in keeping with union policy, child care will be provided on-site where there is sufficient demand, or members will be reimbursed for child care costs that result from their participation in the schools, as per Union policy.

3.3 The Executive Board encourages each local to amend its by-laws to provide for the designation of a Local Education Officer from among the members of the Local Executive Committee.

3.4 OPSEU is committed to developing and promoting a local educational system that: is accessible to members, specific to Local needs, encourages maximum participation, provides for Local development, recruits new members that are representative of the membership, is effective and useful, is accountable to members, shows measurable benefits, fits in with other educational programs and empowers Locals.

3.5 Any body recognized under OPSEU's Constitution may sponsor a local educational: Sponsors:
Locals
Area Councils
Bargaining Units
Provincial Women's Committee
Race Relations/Minority Rights Committee
Occupational Divisions
Executive Board
Ministry Divisions (CAAT Academic, CAAT Support, Ontario Public Service Ministries, OLRA Medical Division)

Sponsors must commit themselves to making the following administrative arrangements:

• developing a budget
• securing a meeting/course location
• gathering course materials with the assistance of the Education Department
• advertising the course
• sending and collecting applications from member participants
• registering participants and distributing member expense claim forms
• follow-up and evaluation of course
• submitting a report to the Education Department on the results of the educational.

3.6 Authorization - Authorization for local educational will consist of approval by an Executive Board member and Staff Representative from the applicable Region.

Guidelines for Course Approval
Recognized Courses

3.7 Eligible courses must be recognized by the Education Department. Members or staff may submit course outlines to the Education Department. The Department will produce a list of suggested courses that OPSEU has materials prepared for. The Education Department will adapt specific regional and residential courses into short modules whose structure and content will be appropriate to local needs. The Education Department will provide course material and audio visual aids for local education.

MEMBER EXPENSE CLAIMS LOCAL EDUCATION

Mileage: A claim for mileage may be made at the rate of 32¢ per kilometre.
Travel: Members will be reimbursed for travel costs to and from the meeting.
Meals:     Breakfast          Lunch           Supper
                 $8.00             $12.00          $19.00

Family & Dependant Care:

Child Care: applies to children 16 years of age and under who reside permanently with a member.
Dependant Care: applies to any dependant person who resides permanently with a member.
Claim rate: $5.00 per hour to a maximum of 12 hours.
Overnight fee: $40.00 to a maximum of $100.00 per 24 hour period.
On-site child care must be arranged by the sponsoring body where there is sufficient demand.

Own time: does not apply to the local educationals.
Participant wages: Lost wages are not reimbursed under the policy. The intent is to organize the educational at a time and location accessible to members on their own time.
Facilitator's wages: Member facilitators may claim lost wages for course preparatory time equal to that of the teaching hours for the educational.
i.e. the course is eight hours - the member facilitator may claim wages for eight hours in order to prepare for the course.
Member facilitators are eligible to claim all expenses available to members attending the educational.