Labour Studies

Standing up for human rights and the rights of workers is fundamental to what we do and who we are as trade unions – an injury to one is an injury to all. We need our lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans members to know that the union belongs to them as much as it belongs to other members.
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Did you know that some research studies have shown you can forget up to 90% of what you've learned in less than a week? Other studies show we retain half of what we've learned for 30 days. What's most important though; over time, we all slowly forget what we've learned. One effective strategy for improving retention is note taking – not just because you'll have a written record to refer to in the future, but also because the actual act of taking notes can help reinforce concepts in your mind.

We are reminded, on a daily basis, about the rise in global warming, ice melting, and sea-levels increasing.  The conditions of our Mother Earth and its ecosystems are deteriorating day by day.  However, many still remain sceptical and we continue to ignore the warnings.  In order to achieve sustainable development and environmental conservation policies, objectives and targets, society needs to become more sensitive to the multiple dimensions of environment.  This course will explore Canada’s impact on the environment and its roles and responsibilities moving forward.

Often conflict results from poor communication, but where do you go from there? This is the course for you! We explore the different types of communicators, how feelings play a role in our perceptions, and interpretations. By the end of the course, participants will have learned to communicate more effectively while maintaining empathy and self control.

The purpose of communication is to get your message across to others clearly. The way we communicate with others can greatly change (positively or negatively) the relationships we have with them. Learn how to successfully get your message across, express your thoughts and ideas effectively – while others are watching & listening to you.
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The reasons workers are part of meetings would create a long list. However, what is true for each meeting is that everyone’s rights need to be respected. Even if mistakes have been made or wrongs have been committed, our human rights’ recognizes that everyone’s dignity needs to be respected. Learn the elements that make a meeting effective, whether you are observing, participating or leading it.
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Leadership doesn’t have a one-size-fits-all definition. The fact is there are as many different leadership styles as there are leaders. This course provides the basis for understanding what leadership is and how to develop it within yourself.
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A workplace can only remain functional when those who operate within it find a way to respect each other. This course alerts us to what a poisoned work environment consists of, what we can do to combat it, the various ways our dignity is attacked and how it affects all those in the workplace.

Workers and stewards face work challenges on several fronts as these usually affect rights, relationships and production. Thankfully, each steward is an extraordinary volunteer who uses their skills to positively affect the members and resolved issues with the company. In this course workers and stewards alike will expand their skills when facing tough issues such as bullying, harassment and mean bosses.
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While laws like our Charter of Rights have allowed us to live together peacefully, there are forces that continue to encourage discrimination and harassment. This course explores the reasons people divide into 'us versus them' groups instead of treating each other with dignity and respect.
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Government is our creature - we make it, we are ultimately responsible for it. One way of making our voice heard is through lobbying for the causes that matter to us. Learn ways to get the attention of politicians so your efforts will make a difference.
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You cannot do one single thing in this country without feeling the effects of government. Operating in Canada cannot be done without the hand of government somewhere intervening. This course will review how government was created, what Confederation has brought us, what our Constitution has brought us, and how we link these factors to contribute to a responsible government.

Maybe unions were needed a hundred years ago when things were really bad, but now things are better, right? Unions have done a lot of work to help worker rights and social issues, yet they still have more to do. This course gives you an overview of the myths about unions and compares a union with a non-union workplace, why unions get involved in politics, and reviews the role of a steward and the processes which they participate within.

‘Innocent until proven guilty’ continues to be the foundation of democracy at work. Members and Stewards will learn the skills to uncover all the facts in defense of worker rights in this course.
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From the beginning to the present, the emergence of Canada’s labour movement resulted from the determination of thousands of working women and men dedicated to bettering the position of their peers. The advances made economically and socially by workers weren’t attained without some form of confrontation. Any attempt to portray labour’s story without giving recognition to this fact is to ignore recorded history. This course takes you back to 1816 with the initial formation of workers, and the stirrings of activism; all the way to the end of World War II…this is the story of the labour movement.

The factors that have led workers to take a more militant stand have set the tone for many of the achievements and contributions the trade union movement has made towards the development of Canada. This course builds on what is learned in Labour History-Part 1, and continues on forward until the mid 1970’s. Read about the various ‘show-downs’ throughout the decades between corporations and the working people of Canada for many of the things some people take for granted.

Our country has a long list of citizens who made a difference in our lives, from human rights to our environment. When Canadians recognize a challenge they find the courage to face it.
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What amount of greenhouse gases will be added to the atmosphere? How warm will the Earth become? Humankind's effect on this planet will be explored in this course by answering these questions and many others. Today humanity uses the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste; our demand exceeds our capacity to re-generate. This course will open your eyes to how we endanger our only world and how we can make a difference.

This course is an introduction to Canadian politics (how things get done) and an invitation to women to get involved.
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“Anything you say can and will be held against you” is a true statement, when it comes to arbitration. It is a mechanism used to settle disputes between the grievor/union and employer when the grievance procedure has been exhausted and the parties cannot come to some mutual agreement on a resolution to the problem. This course will de-mystify the process by reviewing what issues can arise out of interpretation, application, and violations of a collective agreement. Everything you will need if going to Labour Court.

Workers are good at what they do because, in addition to their abilities, they have problem solving skills. This course delivers a foundation to build on these skills providing better approaches to a wide range of difficult situations. Workers and Stewards alike become more effective as they understand the problems they face and discover options to draw upon.
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The union movement is the largest arm of the human rights movement. However, this strength is only realized as members see their value and worth. This course is designed to provide answers to many of the questions people have about unions and democracy at work.
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There are many stories that Canadians do not regularly learn in school.  Our history is littered with events that are either deliberately overlooked, or forgotten due to our own internal biases. And this is particularly true when it comes to the history of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. For over a century, Aboriginal children in Canada were taken from their homes and communities and placed in residential schools. Separated from their families and prohibited from speaking their native languages, the vast majority of residential school survivors experienced neglect and suffering. And the impacts of sexual, mental, and physical abuse, shame, and deprivation endured at residential schools continue to affect generations of survivors and their families today.

Before unions, employers had sole authority to make decisions within the workplace. Nowadays workers have options on how to handle tough issues and problem solve. This course will cover how union stewards assist their co-workers on a regular basis with problem solving, investigations, collective agreement basics and why we need to negotiate our rights. It gives stewards the skills that lead to confidence and assertiveness, how to handle conflicts, and how to answer questions to help co-workers understand.

Right wing governments try to convince us that they have all the answers yet the life of Canadian workers gets tougher all the time – this doesn’t sound fair. This course examines factors that prevent and encourage a ‘fair’ workplace and society.
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Labour court is a serious matter and costly too. Arbitration is a mechanism for resolving disputes and is an extension of the grievance procedure. This course de-mystifies arbitration by explaining why decisions are made. We will walk you through the arbitration process, witnesses, privileged communications, costs, the arbitrator’s decision, and possible awards.

Budgeting lies at the foundation of every financial plan. To have a handle on your finances, you need to know where your money is going. Contrary to popular belief, budgeting isn't about restricting what you spend money on. It's really about understanding how much money you have, where it goes, and then planning how to best distribute those funds. This also holds true when we talk about budgets for households, businesses, and even our government.

Understanding Budgets examines the process and creation of a government budget, and how we can apply these concepts to understand one of the largest budgets around – Canada’s federal budget.

Negotiating is a life skill we have been learning since the day we were born. Unions use this skill to build and protect the rights we have won through processes like collective bargaining. Agreements protect the language we want and improve on what the law provides. This course will bring you through the process from start to finish of collective bargaining by covering what is a collective agreement, what does it do, and that it is legal. This course is a must to understanding the importance of your collective agreement in the workplace.

Contrary to a popular sentiment, voting does make a difference and learning how to get involved in political campaigns can accelerate positive changes. You’ll learn the in’s and out’s of elections plus understand how democracy works on Election Day. UFCW Canada is proud to be the voice of workers both on the job and with those in government. We encourage all Canadians to vote and we specifically encourage workers to vote for candidates and parties that best represent their wants and needs.
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If you had miserable working conditions and wages, and unenforced labour regulations, what would you do? You would strike! For you to be successful, you would want an impressive display of worker solidarity. Workers’ and citizens’ interests are not corporate interests. This course delves into what solidarity is and the effect it can have. Reviewed are how unions have shaped the way most people in Canada live, how workers have built Canada, and why unions take a step further to get involved in social justice and political action. United we stand, divided we fall!

Why do workers join unions? This course will take you on a journey of why unions organize workers, the basic guaranteed rights in a collective agreement, and how unions strengthen themselves within a changing work environment with changing factors such as immigration/visible minorities, gender, age, language, and place of residence (i.e. urban vs. Rural).

Buying made in Canada matters for all Canadians. This course will open your eyes as to why it’s so important to support Canadian made products, what is globalization, and what affect it has on workers in Canada. The material will outline the perception of a corporation, free trade, sweatshops, who benefits from the profits and the affects of privatization and de-regulation.

People work hard for their money and want to have a good life. The choices we make on the job can affect the type of life we live away from it. This short course examines these choices and presents interesting options when we can’t get what we deserve.