Secretary-Treasurer's Message

Secretary-Treasurer's Message

Taking full advantage of being a member

This Spring was a busy one when it comes to educational events at the Union.

Stewards who attended the six spring weekend seminars or the healthcare conference may have heard me talk about how proud I am of this Local Union and our tradition of education.

President Tosato and I are committed to continuing this tradition to ensure our Stewards have the resources they need to continue defending the rights of members in the workplace. And we encourage all of our members to take advantage of every educational opportunity available to them through their Union.

Starting on page 20 of this issue, you can see photos and read more about the weekend Steward Seminars and our annual Healthcare Stewards conference. These events are not only a great opportunity to build skills, but are chances to meet and network with lots of members from within and outside of your sectors.

Understanding that you’re not alone in the issues you face in the workplace is an important

part of building strong solidarity across the Local Union and the larger labour movement. The more we share information, resources, and solutions, the better off we all are. We’re all a part of this organization and we are stronger for it.

To supplement our annual Stewards training – whether weekend seminars or local cell sessions – your Union also offers online orientation for new Stewards. I encourage any new Steward who has not had the chance to attend training yet to reach out to their Representative or the Training & Education Centre to find out more about these online sessions.

Coming up this fall, we will hold the annual Weeklong Paid Training programs for Members, Stewards, and Health & Safety members. These programs provide a more intensive look at information and skills development for each group. See the back page of this issue of Checkout for a link to apply.

Through UFCW Canada, our members can take advantage of more than 200 free online courses on the WebCampus.

Course categories include digital skills, health and safety, labour studies, food and retail, skilled trades, and personal development. Visit ufcw.ca/ webcampus for full details.

Don’t forget that every year, Locals 175 & 633 offers Solidarity Scholarships of $1,000 to members and their children or dependents attending college or university full time. We’ve increased the number of scholarships to 104 every year. The deadline to apply is August 1 so apply today!

I hope you take full advantage of what it means to be a member of UFCW Locals 175 & 633. We strive to ensure opportunities are available for all of our members to advance their skills and learn more about the Union.

If you have questions, please reach out to your Representative for more information on what is available to you as a valued member of the Union.

In Solidarity, Jim McLean treasurer@ufcw175.com