Labour College of Canada Valedictorian Address

Good afternoon fellow classmates, sisters, brothers, instructors, invited guests, labour college staff and Alumni. Bon après-midi à tous les étudiants, membres syndicaux, professeurs, employés du college et invités.

Today marks the first day of the rest of our lives in the labour movement. For the past four weeks we have studied together, worked together, lived together, but more importantly we have grown together. On May 5th 2006, forty-eight union activists from all across Canada began a journey of self-discovery, eager yet admittedly nervous.

As individuals we likely brought forty-eight varied and different opinions on what unionism meant to each of us and how we could be better equipped to collectively face the challenges of the 21st century.

Apathy, disinterest, alienation, declining density, demographics, declining manufacturing sector, organizing the unorganized, bargaining and enforcing contracts… A smorgasbord of barriers facing present and future leadership. So many problems, so many solutions. Do we rely on the traditional methods of activism or are there more progressive ways that collectively we can pursue?

Differences of opinion and there were many, are healthy to democratic dialogue when expressed respectfully and without fear of reprisal. The sustainability of any democratic movement is dependant upon grass roots participation that encourages independent expression of opinion formulated within a framework respecting social justice and equity principles. Democracy unaccompanied by inclusiveness is merely groupthink, which in the end will produce the negative effect of isolating members into a silo mentality.

Effective leaders clearly understand and comprehend the principles of communication, courage, compassion and conviction, and a little bit of charisma doesn't hurt either!

As Sister Michelle pointed out: "sometimes when people obtain a position of power, they can forget that they have responsibilities".

The union movement arguably has as much of a leadership problem as it does a fellowship problem. All across this county echoes stories of a disconnect between unions and the membership, of locals that can't pull quorum, of a lack of successional leadership and of members who can't be bothered to put in the time to support their own contracts.

"What has the union done for us lately?" is a common anthem sung by those who abandon the collective, choosing blame over solidarity. Dismissing those who point fingers rather than join hands is unacceptable and counter-productive. As leaders we are tasked with finding a way to bring these habitual passengers on board. Remembering the old adage that "a team is only as strong as its weakest member" leads to the conclusion that ignoring the realities of partial participation in fact exacerbates our vulnerability.

As Brother Les said: "People own our union, we are the union, and we need to reach out to those who do not understand this concept".

Clearly the most effective, progressive and persuasive way to reach out to our members is through education. For the class of 2006, given the challenges facing our movement we collectively are at an absolute loss to explain, let alone justify the corporate decision to suspend operations of this Labour College. Cost in human terms is abundantly more expensive that cost in financial terms. People matter! This union was built on the backs of working men and women. The foundation of the trade union movement isn't bricks, stones, and mortar; it's blood, sweat and tears. If not us, then who communicates the message of the importance, the significance and the history of the trade union movement?

Why is there a Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and not and Ed Broadbent School of Labour at the University of Windsor? Why do we have MBA's and not MUA's (Masters of Union Administration)?

The corporate world and business elite clearly understand that in order to capture the hearts of youth, you have to first capture their minds. With me today stand forty-eight people whose minds have been captured and are ready to go forth and spread the good news of trade unionism, who are ready to confront and embrace a suspicious membership, who are committed to the values of social justice and equity, who understand the value of organizing, bargaining and enforcing contracts, and who leave here knowing that our predecessors paid a steep, heavy and sometimes ultimate price for the freedoms and the benefits that we often take for granted.

Every man or woman, whether unionized or not, who gets up each day and goes to work with some level of comfort that they will return home safely, who spends four weeks of vacation with his or her family each year, who has the weekends off, who celebrates statutory holidays, who has benefit coverage, who is free of harassment and discrimination, who makes a decent living to support his or her family, has at the end of the day a trade union movement and our predecessors to thank, yet how many of those workers know that?

Nothing, absolutely nothing we have in our workplace was given to us freely. Collectively we have paid for every benefit, every wage increase, and every bit of respect that we may receive. I bet they don't teach that at the Richard Ivey School of Business!

My friends, we have been blessed by dedicated staff, beautiful surroundings, camaraderie, solidarity and an environment that was conducive to learning. We have been supported by our unions, and let's not forget our families, because at the end of the day they make sacrifices so that we can do the work that we need to do. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the family members for being here today, because without your support none of this would be possible.

Nous avons bénéficié de l'appui de nos syndicats, et bien sûr de nos familles. Sans l'appui de celles-ci nous ne pourrions faire le travail qui doit être fait. Alors, j'en profite pour saluer et remercier toutes les familles qui sont ici aujourd'hui, parce que sans vous cette célébration ne serait possible.

It was a tremendous honour to be elected by my classmates as Valedictorian. I have listened carefully to your concerns and I have been absolutely impressed by the level of quality and commitment that each of you have demonstrated over the last four weeks. I am especially impressed by your late night, seventh floor studying habits! Together we have laughed, we have cried and we have shared a toast. Together we are infinitely stronger than any one of us on our own.

As the class of 2006, we have the additional pressure of sadly being the final graduates of this school. We must not be deterred! As our instructor Jo-Anne said: "If we don't speak out when we have the opportunity, then we are just putting shackles on ourselves".

My friends, opportunity is measured in terms of challenge. Judge not those who enter the battle and fail, but those who fail to enter the battle! And I know in my heart there is not a failure in this class.

Congratulations to the Class of 2006!
To the workers!

Sonia Boudreau, NUPGE-OPSEU Local 424
Ottawa, Ontario
June 3rd 2006