199 Education Committee

The Education Committee works with the Executive Board and the National Union to evaluate the educational needs of the membership and schedule course to meet these needs.The committee schedules 1 and 3-day courses at the union hall, promotes the McMaster Labour Studies programs and can provide information about courses available in Port Elgin. If you would like to learn more about the different educational opportunities that are available to you, open the tabs on the left or contact the committee.

Committee Members

Chairperson: Mike Foran Email Mike Foran

Committee: Rose McIntosh Email Rose McIntosh

Shannon Sawatsky Email Shannon Sawatsky

1-Day Courses

Unifor Local 199 can schedule a variety of 1-day courses at the Union Hall. Members from all units are eligible to attend. These courses are scheduled on a Saturday. There is no cost to attend course kits and a lunch will be provided. We have scheduled the following course at Local 199.

Collective Bargaining
Grievance Handling
Health & Safety
Human Rights
Public Speaking – Finding Your Voice
Planning For Your Future (pre retirement)
Women Activist

A complete list of Unifor courses can be seen on the National Union website.

3 Day Courses

The local Union schedules three, a 3-day course either in the spring or fall of the year. These courses are designed to provide union leadership and activists with the tools necessary to represent our members.

Courses are scheduled at the Union Hall
Classes are held during regular working hours 8:30 am – 4:00pm
Classes are on Thursday, Friday & Saturday,
Lost time will be paid for regular scheduled hours,(Thursday and Friday), however members must attend all three days to qualify.
The National Union covers the cost of lunches, classrooms, course materials and Discussion Leaders.

Unifor Local 199 schedules three different courses Collective Bargaining, Grievance Handling, and Human Rights.the next course being schedules in in October 2018. A complete list of Unifor courses can be seen on the National Union website.

for more information contact a member of the education committee or Peter Scott @ 905-682-2611 ext 238 education@unifor199.org

One Week Courses (Port Elgin)

Our members are also eligible to apply for course at the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, these residential programs offer members a unique educational experience. Members travel to Port Elgin and stay at the Family Education Centre for five days. Expenses including lost time and travel is paid by a negotiated paid education leave (PEL) fund.

A complete list of Unifor courses can be seen on the National Union website.

Family Education / Vacation

Since the early 1970’s our Union has offered a Family Education Program for members and their families. The program takes place during the summer at the Unifor Family Education Centre in Port Elgin, Ontario. A call letter is sent to all Unifor locals in January, inviting members to apply. If selected by the local/national union to attend, the member agrees to use their vacation time and the national union covers costs for meals and accommodations at the Unifor Family Education Centre.

Family Education Program (video)

Programs are designed to accommodate different age brackets. Preteens participate in recreational programs run by fully-trained child care workers and counselors. Teenagers participate in a specially-designed program which recognizes their unique interests but also incorporates the issues of social unionism in their curriculum. Adults, both members and their spouse/partner, combine learning and recreational activities and come away from the program with a better understanding of how to integrate trade unionism and social activism in the life of the family and community.

Every Unifor member, and their immediate family members, including dependent children up to 18 years of age, are eligible to attend the Family Education Program.

Click here for more information

For more information about applying to attend the Family Education Summer Program, contact your Local Union Executive or Education Committee.

Unifor – McMaster Labour Studies

Unifor-McMaster Labour Studies courses are designed specifically for Unifor members. Education has an important role in building a knowledgeable membership and workplace leadership for the future. The Unifor-McMaster program is designed with you in mind; .

The courses are scheduled at the Union Hall in the evening, occasionally on the weekend.
We use different course formats including: video conferences, online and 4 evening classroom.
We know you don’t have much time so courses are short, 1, 2, & 4 evening courses.
Fees are paid from a negotiated fund for Eligible Unifor (Detroit three) members.
There are three certificates, Labour Studies, Advanced Labour Studies and a Research Certificate.
Members receive certificates and credits for each individual course completed which go towards a University Certificate.
Upon completion members can apply for a credit towards a university degree.
Memebrs who have completed the PEL course at the Family Education Centre in Port Elgin will receive 8 credits toward the certificate.

The courses are designed by experts in the field to give you knowledge and practical information you need to succeed and understand the working world of today. Whether you are looking for more information about a particular subject, are interested in getting more involved in the union or are a lifetime learner we have a course to help you. These courses play an important role in building a knowledgeable membership and future workplace leadership.

For more information about these course contact Vince Guardari 905-641-6527 vguardari.workplaceco@gmail.com or talk to a member of the Education Committee or Anthony Tambureno McMaster University 647-927-6825 tambur@mcmaster.ca

Pre Retirement Courses P.F.Y.F.

Unifor Local 199 offers retirement planning courses for our members. The first course Planning For Your Future (P.F.Y.F.) is designed for seniority workers who are considering retirement. The second course (P.F.Y.F. 2.0) is for new hires and young workers entering the workforce, who want more information about their pensions and are interested in making a long term plan.

Courses are scheduled on a Saturday at the Union Hall
Course materials and a hot lunch is provided.
Presentations are made by guest speakers from Service Canada, (Great West Life) Unifor legal Services, the Pension & Benefit Reps & FirstOnraio Credit Union
Topics include, life insurance, government benefits, GM defined benefit and defined contribution pensions, wills, and benefits.

For more information please contact the education committee or Vince Guardari @ 905-641-6527 vguardari.workplaceco@gmail.com

Scholarships

Unifor recognizes that the costs associated with post-secondary education is a challenge for many working-class families. To assist in making education more accessible, we’ve established 28 scholarships of $2,000.00 each. Residents of Quebec must apply using that application process. The scholarships are awarded to children of Unifor members in good standing. Students must be entering their first year of full-time post-secondary education (university, community college, technological institute, trade school, etc.) in a public Canadian institution. One of these scholarships will also be available to a Unifor member with at least one year seniority. These are entrance Scholarships only and are not renewable for students entering subsequent years of study. Detailed information about eligibility and how to apply for a scholarship can be found in the following document: Application Description & Instructions

Questions? Email scholarships@unifor.org

Education Survey

Please take a few minutes to complete the following survey. The information will assist the committee schedule educational courses to meet the needs of our members.

Survey to be posted.