Here is a list of advanced courses offered by the PSAC. They are usually held ‘in residence’ and last 4-5 days.
Advanced Steward Training (AST)
Prerequisites: Talking Union Basics, Grievance Handling or equivalent experience
This training will be of interest to members who have some experience representing members on workplace problems. The focus of this course will be on the attitudes, knowledge, and skills required to be an effective Union Representative. Topics will include the Duty of Fair Representation; building a case file; communicating with complainants and grievors; case analysis and preparation; and making effective presentations to management.
Local Officers Advanced Training (LOAT)
- Please note: The LOAT is open to Stewards and Local Officers.
- Prerequisite: Talking Union Basics (TUB) or equivalent experience.
Strong and effective Locals are the building blocks of our Union. They are essential to having a mobilized membership. Education is critical to the development of strong and effective Locals. National Board of Directors (NBoD)
Are you a Local Officer and/or Steward? Are you interested in finding new ways to make your local executive function more efficiently? Do you want to gain tools and knowledge that will help you develop leadership, problem-solving and mobilization skills? Do you want to meet and network with other members from across the region and share skills and experiences? Then the Local Officers Advanced Training (LOAT) is the course for you! The LOAT is an Advanced, In-Residence course that is geared specifically towards Local Officers and Stewards. The LOAT will provide you with an in-depth understanding of the tools necessary to run effective locals and provide you with the skills needed to be a successful union activist.
Course content includes the role of the local executive, strategic planning, local activities, local committees and terms of reference, communicating and recruiting, building an inclusive union, representation issues, local meetings, improving the rights and protections of union representatives and many other topics. Participants will also learn about social activism and how to involve members in the broader labour movement!
Political Action Training Program
Our rights as workers and as concerned citizens fighting for social change are in danger of disappearing completely from the political agenda. The federal election looms around the corner and the political landscape is set to shift more drastically then ever before, both federally and provincially. Whether the direct impact is on your job or on the community you live in, the time for action is now.
Join other PSAC members in BC and take a leadership role in ensuring that the rights of our members are a critical priority in the upcoming months. At stake is the future of the public service and civil society at large.
This 5 day advanced course will provide you with the tools necessary for playing a key role in the upcoming election and other political action campaigns. Participants will create an action plan and will be expected to actively apply their knowledge in the upcoming months. The course will focus on the “hot” issues of the day, how they will affect our members and the skills needed to take the union’s message to the membership and the electorate at large. Topics include: direct action, media and communications planning, coalition building, defending public services, lobbying, campaigning, globalization and using the internet for political action.
UDP (Union Development Program)
UDP is the PSAC’s leadership development course. It trains activists to move into leadership positions as elected officers and staff. Equally important, it trains people to exercise leadership at the level at which they currently function. The role of UDP is to expand as well as regenerate the leadership base. The Union Development Program consists of 3 levels of 5-6 days each. Participants must complete all three levels.
Areas of study for the UDP include: Union Principles, the Organizing Model, Speaking to the Issues, Recruiting Activists, Local Development, Decision-Making in the Alliance, International Solidarity, developing and promoting an Inclusive Union, Charting the Future of the PSAC.
By the end of the UDP participants will be able to:
- describe their collective vision of social justice and the role of unions in achieving that vision;
- define the philosophy, structures and political dynamics of the Alliance and of the broader union movement;
- analyze some of the issues of current significance to Canadian working people and their unions;
- demonstrate leadership in pursuit of their vision;
- Commit to working through the union for positive social change that effectively addresses the needs of working people.
- Each UDP will have a maximum of 20 participants.
The potential UDP candidate is a member who:
- has demonstrated a solid commitment to the union’s cause and to the underlying principles of collective action and social justice;
- has a well-developed understanding of the basics essential to union activism, including union principles and practices;
- has demonstrated initiative in furthering her or his own union development through active experience and participating in courses or conferences;
- has demonstrated a willingness to assume leadership responsibilities within the union;
- will commit to fulfilling all of the obligations of UDP, including participation on three separate 5 – 6 day sessions;
- learning events and specific work assignments in between the learning events (3 to 6 months in total)
- has the will, ability and commitment to use her or his UDP experience to assume a leadership role in the union.
Women At Work
60% of PSAC members are women and the numbers of women in leadership positions are increasing every year. This course will help participants continue the momentum of building real equality in our Union and in our communities. Participants will explore our herstory and understand the importance of a feminist analysis in ensuring our collective agreements, our union structures and our communities reflect our principles and our goals. We will also develop strategies to advance women’s issues, both locally and globally.
This course is open to PSAC members who are women.