Workshop Catalog

Unions are strongest when every worker is valued, included, and empowered. This interactive workshop is your introduction to building an anti-racist union—one where solidarity means standing up for all members. Through engaging discussions and real-world examples, we’ll explore key concepts, challenge biases, and develop the skills needed to create a more inclusive and powerful labour movement.

This workshop is an introduction to building an anti-racist union. It is part of a wider program of anti-racism workshops from CUPE Education. This intro workshop introduces some core ideas, concepts and skills that are carried through the other workshops and resources.

1-Day in-person workshop for all members.

In this workshop, we will look at Canada’s history of settler colonialism, explore how to recognize and challenge racism against Indigenous members, and discuss how we can leverage our power as union activists to advance reconciliation and Indigenous cultural safety in our workplaces and locals.

In this workshop, members of local Mobilization Committees look at effective ways to engage members before bargaining begins, and throughout the bargaining process.

NOTE: This workshop is for the Mobilization Committee.

In this workshop, the local executive:
• analyzes the internal and external factors that impact bargaining;
• sets goals for bargaining;
• prepares a work plan to steer them through the bargaining process.

NOTE: This workshop is for the local executive.

Conflict is a natural part of our lives. Learning to handle it well improves relationships at work and in other parts of our lives.

In this workshop, you will
-deepen your understanding of conflict
-learn how to identify the issues and find the right solutions
-strengthen your conflict communication skills

What does a CUPE steward do? If you are a new steward and want to learn how to help CUPE members solve workplace problems, this introductory workshop is for you!

In this 6-hour workshop, you will learn:
• investigating workplace problems;
• filing a grievance;
• meeting with management;
• dealing with workplace complaints.

NOTE: Please bring a copy of your collective agreement to the workshop.

As activists in our unions, we often ask why members are not more involved. This workshop asks a different question: Who is involved and who isn't and what might be some reasons why? How might our unconscious biases contribute to this? How can we represent members in a way that invites those on the margins to get involved and to see the union as place where they want to make a difference?

This workshop is for all members in an elected position within the local union. Whether you are a trustee or a member of the executive, learning about the basics of the local union’s finances is a priority. In this workshop, you will learn about your duties regarding the finances of the union, budgeting and how to be transparent and accountable to members. 

NOTE: This workshop is a pre-requisite for Secretary-Treasurers and Trustees wishing to take LET - Financial Officers.

Following the completion of LET - Financial Essentials, this 6-hour workshop allows Secretary-treasurers and Trustees to delve deeper into local finances.

Secretary-treasures will learn how to use the CUPE electronic ledger, manage the local union's funds and accounts, and prepare reports to the membership and the trustees.

Trustees will learn how to properly perform an audit of the local union's books, accounts, properties, and assets. At the end of this workshop, Trustees will be able to make recommendations to the local union to improve the local union's financial health.

NOTE: Please bring a laptop, if possible.

Have you ever sat through a meeting, either as a participant or a facilitator that you knew could be more focused, efficient, inclusive, or effective? We use Bourinot's rules of parliamentary procedure to make important decisions in a way that is fair. But sometimes a different kind of conversation is needed to be inclusive and build our movement. In this workshop, executive members learn how to find and lead the right process for the work that needs to get done.

Parliamentary procedure is an important part of our democratic process in CUPE. Some conversations are better had using other approaches. How do you decide when parli-pro is needed and when another approach could help?
Build your facilitation skills for supporting effective and inclusive discussions, learn and practice some processes that you can use in your day to day work.

Staff work with locals to put together a strategic planning session. Strategic planning is a collaborative way to set achievable and measurable goals for your local. It will help you determine what will be implemented over a matter of weeks and years so your local can evolve and grow to serve your membership better. It is also a way to build capacity and activism within your local. This is not an off the shelf workshop. Each situation is different and requires a tailor made approach.

This workshop will help you build union solidarity in locals where some members of the union supervise other members. It provides tips on how unionized supervisors can carry out their duties and discusses how locals can ensure that tensions between supervisors and those supervised don’t get in the way of the local union’s activities.

NOTE: Please bring your collective agreement to the workshop.

There is an important election coming up! The outcome of every election will have an impact on workers, public services and equality rights.
Learn more about how elections work, explore current issues and how to get involved...a little or a lot!
We can make a difference!