A Region 1 Weekend Educational will be held at the OPSEU/SEFPO London Membership Centre on on Saturday, Jan 17, 2026 (9:00 am – 4:30 pm), and Sunday, Jan 18 (9:00 am – 1:00 pm).
Email completed application form to Mary MacDonald, London Regional Secretary at supportstafflondon@opseu.org
Application Deadline: December 5, 2025
Agenda:
Saturday, January 17
- 8:45am – 9:30am: Plenary
- 9:30am – 12:00pm: Classes
- 12:00pm – 1:00pm: Lunch (NOT provided)
- 1:00pm – 5:00pm: Classes
- Saturday Evening Hospitality: light snacks and Bingo with Brandon Yohnicki (details to follow)
Sunday, January 18
- 9:00am – 1:00pm Classes
Courses
Advanced Grievance Handling for Union Building
Does your local have a grievance committee? Can your experience in handling a grievance help to build the local? Can you use your knowledge of common grievance issues to raise awareness at demand setting meetings? Have you ever thought of what it is like to be on the Employer side of the table? These are some of the topics that will be explored in the Advanced Grievance Handling for Union Building course. You will also get the opportunity to practice being on the Union’s team and the Employer’s Team as you work through some scenarios. Building on the Basic Grievance Handling for Union Building course, this course focuses on expanding both the steward’s and Local’s ability to process grievances from start to finish. Through active interviewing process, participants will explore how to identify grievances, practice negotiating settlements, and draft realistic, enforceable grievance settlements.
Participants should bring their Collective Agreements to the course.
Local Treasurers Course
This course is aimed at Local Treasurers and Trustees who are either NEW to the role or experienced members who are seeking a “refresher course”. The goal is to give the necessary tools and education to Local Treasurers and Trustees in order for them to fulfill their roles in the Local. It will also draw on members’ experiences to solve problems occurring with the administration of Local funds.
Making Composite Locals Work
Composite/Multi-unit Locals can be very challenging and complex locals to organize and run. Difficulties with communication and membership coordination are among the barriers that often prevent these locals from being inclusive and achieving their full potential. This course provides an opportunity for an in-depth working session for local executive committees of composite or multi-unit locals. Participants will develop clear roles and responsibilities as local leaders, prepare an appropriate budget, develop local structures, and will assess the functioning of their local and its units. Based on the work from the course, the local executives will begin to develop action plans to implement in their local.
Note: This course is not designed for individuals coming from different locals. Participants who register should be complete LEC groups that are working together to build strength in their units and ultimately the local.
Challenging Bullying and Non-Code-Based Harassment in the Workplace
Is bullying and psychological harassment an issue in your workplace? This course will help you recognize the signs of bullying and a toxic workplace. We’ll look at case law and other tools helpful in understanding the impact of workplace bullying. And we’ll strengthen individual and collective capacity to respond to co-workers, and pressure employers to tackle this issue.
Women in Unions: Strengthening Leadership
This course offers seasoned women activists a chance to analyze the advances and barriers to diverse women’s leadership in the union. Through case studies of common problems women face in the workplace and Union, the course explores issues of power, privilege, equity, and effective action. It offers the chance to develop practical strategies for strengthening diverse women’s leadership and building an inclusive union. It will also focus on ways to strengthen women’s committees and gatherings in our locals and regions.
Stewards 1: Making a Difference in the Workplace *Updated*
This course supports stewards through a range of tools and practical activities and includes a detailed description and history of OPSEU/SEFPO’s equity-seeking groups. The key aims are to strengthen steward skills to orient a new employee to the union, have effective one-on-one conversations with a cross-section of members, develop a communications strategy to enlist diverse member involvement, and develop approaches to everyday workplace problems. Throughout the course, participants are supported as they develop a profile of their members, clarify the tasks of the steward, find the resources and information in OPSEU/SEFPO, and understand the grievance process and their role in it. Stewards 1 is a prerequisite to Stewards 2 and must be completed before taking Stewards 2. Participants should bring their Collective Agreements.
Information
Accommodation:
- A block of rooms has been reserved at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel & Suites London, 1150 Wellington Road South, London N6E Please be sure to request the “OPSEU January Room Block” group rate.
- OPSEU/SEFPO Policy states that members are responsible for reserving their own rooms AND paying for same, you are also responsible for any cancellation. Failing cancellation, you are responsible for the room charges.
- OPSEU/SEFPO’s 60 km rule will be enforced – members living outside 60 kms of the hotel will be entitled to room accommodation for both Friday and Saturday nights of the weekend educational per OPSEU/SEFPO Members living within 60 kms of the hotel will be entitled to room accommodation for Saturday night only as required. Members will be reimbursed for the cost of a single room.
Expense Claims:
- The Member Portal (opseu.org//members-login) is the quickest way to have your expenses Please see the E-Claim tutorial in your Members Profile under the Documents menu. If you choose to use a paper expense claim – only one event is allowed on each form and can be submitted to Claims@opseu.org. Multiple events on one form will be returned to the member for correction.
Meal Rates:
- Breakfast $23.00
- Lunch, $31.00
- Dinner, $40.00
- (meals provided at the Event cannot be claimed)
Mileage:
- Current Kms Rates:
- $0.60/km (1 – Member travelling alone);
- $0.65/km (2 – Members);
- $0.70/km (3 – Members);
- $0.75/0 km (4 – Members); $0.80/km (5 – Members).
Time Off:
- Wages ARE NOT covered for this
- If you require a time-off letter, please fill out the Time-Off request information on page
- LBED members must submit a RUL for time-off (unpaid).
Advance Request:
- Please fill out the Advance Request form and email to advances@opseu.org.
Direct Deposit:
- If you do not already have Direct Deposit, please fill out the Direct Deposit form and email to the Claims Unit at claims@opseu.org.
Human Rights Accommodation:
- Please fill out the Human Rights Accommodation request form and email to the Equity Unit at equity@opseu.org and copy supportstafflondon@opseu.org.
Family Care (Child/Elder/Dependant)
- Childcare is being offered at the Four Points by Sheraton Please see page 2 for details.
- If childcare is requested through OPSEU/SEFPO at the Educational, all paperwork must be completed and submitted, and the child must be in attendance with the If the child is not in attendance, you will be responsible for the full cost of their accommodation and meals.
- Members are entitled to reimbursement of reasonable costs of family/dependant care provided by someone other than their partners /spouses as a result of absences from home arising from the conduct of union business. Such allowances are not intended to reimburse the claimant for dependant/family expenses that they would have normally incurred as a result of employment except where the absence exceeds the normal work day or
- Family/Attendant care will be reimbursed at the rate of $15.00 per hour to a maximum of $220.00 per 24 hour period and the claim must be signed by the care provider(s). Please specify hours claimed for each Members who bring children to union events will be entitled to single accommodation and meal expenses. Claims for these expenses should also be included in the family care column of the expense form and described appropriately.
Participation
- As a reminder, in accordance with OPSEU/SEFPO policy, full attendance is mandatory for participants at the educational. If you are unable to attend with full attendance without an acceptable reason, you will not receive credit for the course and your expenses (if any) may not be paid.
Scent, Peanut and Nut-Free Policy; No Bottled Water or Coca Cola Products
- People attending OPSEU/SEFPO meetings are requested to refrain from using perfume, cologne and other fragrances for the comfort of other participants.
- Participants are also to refrain from bringing nut products, bottled water and Coca Cola products to OPSEU/SEFPO