Electives by Session

Summer Leadership Conference 2022

Electives by Session

Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 9:00–10:30 a.m.

1. 215: Honouring the Children Buried at Kamloops Indian Residential School—Fort Camp Lounge

Teachers recognize how important it is to ramp up the teaching of Canada’s once hidden history of Indian Residential Schools. In this workshop we will explore how to deepen and expand our awareness of the ongoing revelations of Canada’s policies. This workshop provides participants with the opportunity to build knowledge and confidence in sharing sensitive topics at age-appropriate levels relating to the 215, to have a deeper understanding of the hidden history and legacy of Indian Residential Schools, and to develop strategies through reflection, dialogue, and action towards building allyship.

Facilitator(s): BCTF Aboriginal Facilitator

2. Accommodations and Human Rights—Neville Scarfe 202

This workshop will provide attendees with an introduction to the accommodation process for members. The workshop will explore the rights and responsibilities of the local, the member, and the employer framed by the Human Rights Code, case law, and the collective agreement. What are the obligations and entitlements? How does privacy factor in?

Facilitators: Lori Jones, Field Service Division, and Karlan Modeste, BCTF Legal Counsel

3. Antiracism for White Educators—Neville Scarfe 204

This session is specifically for white educators to come together to explore and learn about what it means to be a white educator in antiracism work. This workshop will explore the concepts of white fragility, white supremacy, and safety vs. discomfort and intent vs. impact.

Facilitator(s): TBD

4. Creating an Antiracist Classroom—Neville Scarfe 207

(Also offered August 24, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)

This session will explore strategies for disrupting racism in our schools and classrooms while also deepening our understanding about microaggressions, colourism, white supremacy, and the importance of representation.

Facilitator(s): Serena Mohammed, Chris Rolle, and Shailly Sareen, members of the Committee for

Action on Social Justice

5. Cultivate and Promote Positive Mental Health—Neville Scarfe 209

COVID-19 has created an unprecedented amount of uncertainty and challenges in the teaching profession. This highly interactive presentation will focus on stress, worry, and anxiety, and how these can be challenged in achieving or maintaining a work-life balance.

The session will answer the following questions: 1. How does stress affect your position on the mental health continuum? 2. How can we recognize and deal with our triggers? 3. What strategies can we use to set limits that allow us to better manage our mental health? Facilitator: Earl van As, Vice President of Marketing & Customer Success at Starling Minds

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6. Engaging Members Through Research—Neville Scarfe 208

How do you use research methods to engage with, and deepen your understanding of, members’ experiences and opinions? How do you mobilize what members share with you for reflection and action? BCTF Research is offering a dynamic session to help you use research tools and strategies to mobilize members’ experiences and insights into actions and recommendations. Topics will include a brief overview of survey and focus group methods along with tips for turning data into powerful stories. Research staff will share practical examples and you are invited to bring ideas and examples to ground the discussion.

Facilitators: Andrée Gacoin, Director, and Michelle Gautreaux, Anne Hales, and

Brendan Watts, IRIS staff, Information, Research, and International Solidarity Division (IRIS)

7. Five Myths About Public Education Funding in BC—Neville Scarfe 201

This workshop looks at five common myths about education funding in BC and explains both the flaws in the methodology of those who deny the underfunding of the system and the data they ignore or misrepresent. A recent article by UBC professor Jason Ellis in the Journal of Canadian

Education claims there has been an increase in spending on BC public education between 1970 and 2020 that he calculates at 250%. This increase is described as “astounding.” It is important to unpack the real story of education funding in BC (which BCTF members will understand from their personal experience is nothing like an increase of 250% over recent decades—quite the contrary).

Facilitators: Larry Kuehn, IPE/BC Fellow and former Director of Research and Technology at the

BC Teachers’ Federation and John Malcolmson, IPE/BC Fellow, and former CUPE research analyst for the K–12 sector

8. Intersectionality and Identifying Your Social Location—Neville Scarfe 210

This elective session is an excellent entry point for folks who want to learn more about equity work. We will explore our own intersectionality and learn about how our social location impacts our lived experience and our teaching.

Facilitator(s): Ann Alexander and Regie Plana-Alcuaz, members of the Committee for Action on

Social Justice

9. Strategies for Increasing Local Capacity—Neville Scarfe 206

Do you feel overwhelmed with your workload at your local office? Does asking for help from your members seems like yet another obstacle to overcome? Discover and share strategies for dealing with this challenge. Learn ways to incorporate new members, draw on the strengths of your colleagues, strategize to build capacity in future leaders, access helpful resources through the

BCTF, and start this coming year stronger.

Facilitators: Julia MacRae and Renée Willock, Assistant Directors, Field Service Division

10. Surviving and Thriving in Local Offices—Neville Scarfe 203

(Also offered August 26, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)

Stressed and overwhelmed are words frequently used by local union officers to describe themselves, for good reason. Their challenges are real, significant, and on-going. This informative and interactive workshop is designed to help Local Presidents and other released officers not just survive but even thrive in their local union roles. After activities ranging from the philosophical to the practical, participants will leave uplifted and armed for the year ahead!

Facilitators: Suzanne Hall and George Serra, Assistant Directors, Field Service Division

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11. Teaching in a Time of Climate Crisis: Creating Systemic Change for Seven Generations—Neville

Scarfe 205

(Also offered August 26, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)

This elective is designed to help teachers increase their climate literacy and work towards systemic change. Following the principle of consideration for seven generations, in the tradition of the Indigenous stewards of this land, we will explore ways that we can use our role as workers in the education system, to identify and work towards just and equitable decarbonization in our schools and school districts.

Facilitator(s): Ditta Cross and Tara Ehrcke, members of the Committee for Action on Social Justice

12. Their Voices Will Guide Us—Fort Camp Lounge, Gage

This workshop builds knowledge around Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), while reviewing historic events leading up to the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls final report. Educational resources such as Their

Voices Will Guide Us are introduced, as well as The REDress Project initiative.

Facilitator(s): BCTF Aboriginal Facilitator

13. Working Towards Professional Autonomy Guidelines—Neville Scarfe 200

(Also offered August 26, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)

This workshop will present to members a working document on professional autonomy. The purpose of creating guidelines is to support teachers in being consciously reflective of their professional autonomy as well as their rights and responsibilities as a teacher. The workshop will touch on the following themes: the value and purpose of public education; the meaning, importance, and practice of teachers’ professional autonomy; professional autonomy in terms of collective agreements and bargaining; and professional autonomy as it relates to the union’s priorities and commitments to reconciliation, solidarity, and social justice.

Facilitators: Runa Bjarnason-Wilson and Adrienne Demers, members of the Professional Issues

Advisory Committee

Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

14. Almost Everything is Negotiable: Negotiations Outside of Bargaining—Neville Scarfe 209

This highly interactive workshop will enhance your skills and strategies for navigating the range of scenarios that union representatives face when representing members, including understanding the difference between authority and influence. • Exploring the range of persuasive tactics available to you in conversations with employers. • Practices for discovering the other side’s problems, motivations, and bottom line.

This simulation-based workshop is ideal for locally released officers, staff reps, and anyone who handles grievances.

Facilitators: Starleigh Grass and George Serra, Assistant Directors, Field Service Division

15. Canva 101: Design for the “Graphically Challenged”—Neville Scarfe 201

If you’re looking to polish up your local’s presence on social media or make professional-looking posters and signage, but don’t know much (or anything) about graphic design, this workshop is for you! You will learn the basics of a free online graphic design program called Canva, explore

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templates, and play around with creating some sample materials. We’ll also share tips for how to make the most out of your smartphone cameras, as well as where to find free stock images to use in your local communications. This workshop will also be helpful to teachers in the classroom, provincial specialist association volunteers, event organizers, and others. Facilitator: Lauren Hutchison, Assistant Director, Communications and Campaign Division

16. Creating an Antiracist Classroom—Neville Scarfe 206

(Also offered August 24, 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.)

This session will explore strategies for disrupting racism in our schools and classrooms while also deepening our understanding about microaggressions, colourism, white supremacy, and the importance of representation.

Facilitator(s): Ann Alexander, Serena Mohammed, Chris Rolle, and Shailly Sareen, members of the

Committee for Action on Social Justice

17. Creating a Local Communications Strategy—Neville Scarfe 207

(Also offered August 26, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

Should we create social media accounts? What about a newsletter? Are Zoom meetings better than in-person meetings? There are a lot of different ways to communicate with and engage your members. But not all locals are the same and all have different needs and capacities. This workshop will help locals and other organizers develop a general communications strategy to create focus and consistency. We’ll explore what it means to move a member up the “ladder of engagement” and source meaningful content to keep members informed.

Facilitator: Rich Overgaard, Director, Communications and Campaign Division

18. Engaging and Informing Members Through Local Newsletters—Neville Scarfe 210

(Also offered August 24, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.)

This workshop will discuss strategies for maximizing engagement through local newsletters by evaluating the purpose, structure, and content of newsletters. We’ll also look at strategies for effectively using Mailchimp to create mobile-friendly newsletters.

Facilitator: Sunjum Jhaj, Assistant Director, Communications and Campaign Division

19. Out of Whose Pockets? Out of Our Pockets—Neville Scarfe 204A

This workshop will introduce you to OOOPs and explain how you and your colleagues can participate. The OOOPs website, compatible with smartphones, allows you to easily record what you’re spending, even while you’re standing in line at the store. The system allows you to monitor spending to better understand your school’s resource needs. We all know that teachers spend hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars of their own money ensuring their students have access to adequate food, clothing, hygiene products, as well as curricular and extra-curricular resources. During the pandemic, educators have spent their own money on PPE and cleaning products to ensure safer learning environments for their students. But how much?

Facilitators: Dan Laitsch, IPE/BC Chair of the Board of Directors and John Malcolmson, formerly the CUPE research analyst for the K–12 sector.

20. Preparing a Grievance: From Filing to Referral—Neville Scarfe 202

What is a grievance? What considerations should be taken into account at the various steps of the grievance process? In this workshop participants will learn about, and discuss, the process of

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grievance handling, including writing grievance letters, maintaining a grievance file, and negotiating creative resolutions to alleged violations. Facilitators: Derek DeGear and Patrick Henry, Assistant Directors, Field Service Division; Michael Prokosh, BCTF Legal Counsel

21. Professional Boundaries—Neville Scarfe 205

Sometimes the standards of conduct between students and teachers are ambiguous. Teachers place themselves in jeopardy when boundaries are crossed. This workshop helps school staffs and TTOCs identify the boundaries and provides them with support and resources. Reference will be made to the BCTF Code of Ethics.

Facilitators: Sherry Payne, Assistant Director, Professional and Social Issues Division and Mary

Tremain, BCTF member.

22. Teachers’ Pension Plan for Local Leaders—Neville Scarfe 208

(Also offered August 24, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.)

At this workshop you will learn about: • the pension formula • key life events and their impact on your pension • key factors to consider when choosing a pension option.

Facilitator: Sarb Lalli, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

23. What it Takes to Create an LGBTQ2s+ Supportive and School Community—

Neville Scarfe 203

Most LGBTQ2S+ students still don’t feel safe and supported in schools. This workshop will provide you with tools, strategies, and knowledge for how to make your classroom and school more supportive and welcoming to members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.

Facilitator(s): Michelle Hernandez, Lexa Perl, and Regie Plana-Alcuaz, members of the Committee for Action on Social Justice

24. WorkSafeBC (WCB) Claim Essentials: Key Information on Filing a Compensation Claim—Neville

Scarfe 200

This workshop will cover key topics for locals assisting members with WCB insurance claims.

Topics of discussion include when and how to properly file a claim, confidentiality, resolving claim issues, types of insurance claims, and disputing claim decisions.

Facilitator: Luke Olver, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

Wednesday, August 24, 2022, 2:30–4:00 p.m.

25. Beyond the Collective Agreement—Neville Scarfe 204

Most grievances involve enforcement of the collective agreement, but various pieces of legislation also provide protections for employees and the union. This workshop will review the most commonly utilized provisions for teachers in the Employment Standards Act, Human Rights

Code, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These include pregnancy and parental leave provisions, protection from discrimination in employment, and protection of teachers’ freedom of expression. The workshop will also address how to frame grievance letters when relying on these provisions.

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Facilitators: Susanne Hall, Assistant Director, Field Service Division; Stefanie Quelch, BCTF Legal Counsel; Robyn Trask, BCTF General Counsel

26. Engaging and Informing Members Through Local Newsletters—Neville Scarfe 200

This workshop will discuss strategies for maximizing engagement through local newsletters by evaluating the purpose, structure, and content of newsletters. We’ll also look at strategies for effectively using Mailchimp to create mobile-friendly newsletters.

Facilitator: Sunjum Jhaj, Assistant Director, Communications and Campaign Division

27. Engaging Members Through Professional Issues: The OECD’s Global Policy Agenda 2.0—Neville

Scarfe 208

This workshop will help participants identify the OECD agenda and develop concrete plans to broaden our approaches to professionalism, professional issues, and professional development.

Participants will be provided background information on the OECD, its agenda, and its role in shaping the BC public education system. You will also be connected to issues of disengagement, burnout, and isolation within the teaching profession and to the OECD’s global policy agenda.

Facilitator: Jo Atkinson-Cornthwaite, Member of the Professional Issues Advisory Committee

28. Harassment: Rules and Tools—Neville Scarfe 207

What constitutes harassment? How can the union provide fair representation in member-tomember complaints? In this workshop participants will learn about the collective agreement processes for resolving harassment concerns as well as alternatives such as mediation and informal resolutions. We will also discuss overlapping issues which may include violations of the human rights legislation.

Facilitators: Karlan Modeste, Legal Counsel; Renée Willock, Assistant Director, Field Service

Division

29. How to be Most Effective in the October Municipal Election—Let’s Use Our Collective Power to

Elect the Right People—Neville Scarfe 205

This workshop will help teachers develop get-out-the-vote (GOTV) strategies for municipal elections and find helpful ways to participate and support labour movement actions. We’ll also examine post-election strategies to hold elected officials to account.

Facilitator: Anna Chudnovsky, Assistant Director, Communication and Campaign Division

30. Indigenous Allyship—Neville Scarfe 209

How do we grow our antiracism practice beyond performance and land acknowledgements? This workshop will be grounded in ideas and strategies that settlers may use to navigate settler colonialism. Join us for a conversation about allyship and its role and limitations in working towards an intersectional understanding of Indigenous allyship and solidarity.

Facilitator(s): Mary Hotomanie and Lee, members of the Committee for Action on Social Justice and Jody Polukoshko, member of the BCTF Executive Committee

31. Weaving and Quilting Our Stories Entwined: A Decolonizing Journey—Fort Camp Lounge

A presentation of Nancy Knickerbocker’s decolonization quilt, more information to come.

Facilitator: BCTF Aboriginal Facilitator

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32. Non-Sexist and Inclusive Pedagogy—Neville Scarfe 202

The BCTF International Solidarity Committee invites you to learn from the non-sexist pedagogy model being used by teachers in Central America. This model is the product of 15 years of collaboration between Central American teachers’ unions and the BCTF-funded nongovernmental organization, Co-Development Canada. You will have a chance to take part in activities drawn from Central American non-sexist pedagogy workshops and learn how the workshops have succeeded in empowering teachers from a number of Central American countries to support their students in developing non-sexist attitudes and behaviours.

Co-facilitated by Co-Development Canada (potentially with an international guest facilitator –

TBD) and members of the WR Long International Solidarity Committee

33. Professional Autonomy—Neville Scarfe 206

Professional autonomy is an important and complex area of law. It is also fundamentally important to teachers because of the intricate nature of our work and diverse needs of our students.

The aim of this workshop is to: • outline the scope of professional autonomy • review the types of decisions covered by professional autonomy • summarize the leading arbitration cases on the issue • highlight relevant principles regarding professional autonomy • discuss ways that teachers can protect professional autonomy, collectively and individually • explore new challenges that COVID, and the response to COVID, present to professional autonomy.

Facilitators: Carolyn Pena, Assistant Director, Field Service Division; Michael Prokosh, BCTF Legal

Counsel; Daniel Shiu, Assistant Director, Professional & Social Issues Division

34. Teachers’ Pension Plan for Local Leaders—Neville Scarfe 201

(Also offered August 24, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

At this workshop you will learn about: • the pension formula • key life events and their impact on your pension • key factors to consider when choosing a pension option.

Facilitator: Sarb Lalli, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

35. The Basics of Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) Committees—Neville Scarfe 203

(Also offered August 26, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

How do joint occupational health and safety committees work? Are you interested in getting involved in health and safety in your school, local or district? JOHS committees have been at the forefront during the pandemic focusing on personal protective equipment, hierarchy of controls and ventilation. There are many other relevant issues in protecting the health and safety rights of all workers. This session will look at committee roles and responsibilities and relevant legislation.

Facilitator: Toni Grewal, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

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36. WorkSafeBC (WCB) Claim Essentials: Key Information on Filing a Compensation Claim—Neville

Scarfe 210

This workshop will cover key topics for locals assisting members with WCB insurance claims.

Topics of discussion include when and how to properly file a claim, confidentiality, resolving claim issues, types of insurance claims, and disputing claim decisions.

Facilitator: Luke Olver, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

Friday, August 26, 2022, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

37. Advocating for Members on SIP—Neville Scarfe 204A

This workshop and discussion will review the basics of the Salary Indemnity Plan (SIP) and provide strategies on helping members understand adjudication decisions, suggestions for working with healthcare providers, submitting relevant medical documentation for claims purposes, and supporting members through appeal processes.

Facilitator: Chris Harris, Director, Allan Lee, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

38. BC’s Human Rights Code Education Session: Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Teacher—

Neville Scarfe 209

Every British Columbian has the right to protection from discrimination under BC’s Human

Rights Code. Join us for this introductory session to learn about your rights and responsibilities as a teacher. Attendees will learn about BC’s Human Rights Code, how it protects them as employees, and how it outlines their responsibilities as service providers.

Through exploration of real-life cases, attendees will be able to identify discrimination under the Code and recognize what personal protected characteristics and protected grounds can be used to make human rights complaints. Through discussion and exploration of the human rights system in BC, attendees will leave with a better understanding of the types of supports available for those experiencing discrimination.

We will be open to questions during the session, but we like to ask for questions ahead of time as sometimes research is needed for items related to the law. Please send your questions to: engagement@bchumanrights.ca.

Facilitators: Education advisors from the BC’s Office of the Human Rights Commissioner

39. Communities of Care—Neville Scarfe 207

The past few years living and teaching in a pandemic has shown us that we need each other. This session will address and discuss the need for wellness beyond self care. We need community care and we need to hold each other up. Come learn about how to foster community wellness and communities of care.

Facilitator(s): TBD

40. Creating a Local Communications Strategy—Neville Scarfe 206

(Also offered August 24, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)

Should we create social media accounts? What about a newsletter? Are Zoom meetings better than in-person meetings? There are a lot of different ways to communicate with and engage your members. But not all locals are the same and all have different needs and capacities. This workshop will help locals and other organizers develop a general communications strategy to

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create focus and consistency. We’ll explore what it means to move a member up the “ladder of engagement” and source meaningful content to keep members informed. Facilitator: Rich Overgaard, Director, Communications and Campaign Division

41. Freedom of Information 101: Exercising Your Right to Know—Neville Scarfe 204

This workshop is for anyone interested in learning the practical skills needed to start accessing information held by government bodies and exercising your right to know. The workshop will outline the steps to crafting an effective request and successfully following it through. It is being offered in partnership with the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA), a nonpartisan, non-profit society that was established in 1991 to promote and defend freedom of information and privacy rights in Canada.

Facilitators: Guests from the Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) with Andrée

Gacoin, Director, Information, Research, and International Solidarity Division

42. Investigations and Discipline—Neville Scarfe 201

This workshop will help you prepare for your role assisting members under discipline investigations. These members need clarity about the processes they must participate in, and union advocates need to think strategically throughout. As well as helping members achieve the best outcome for themselves and their careers, we will consider what it means to meet the needs of members in regards to equity and inclusion. You will leave with tools and strategies!

Facilitators: Gretchen Brown, BCTF Legal Counsel and Julia MacRae, Assistant Director, Field

Service Division

45. “Once Upon A BIPOC Teacher:” Storying Joy, Power, and Solidarity—Neville Scarfe 1003

The BCTF 2050 New BIPOC Teachers Project is a collaboration between early-career BCTF members and BCTF Research. The project aims to highlight and celebrate BIPOC teachers’ contributions to BC’s public education system and teaching profession, while sparking transformative change in and through union engagement, antiracism discourse, and activism.

Facilitated by BCTF 2050 team members, workshop participants will engage in communitybuilding and narrative/story work activities and learn about the province-wide BIPOC Teachers of

BC project launching in Fall 2022. Participants are requested to bring a personal “artifact” for an opening community building activity and briefly share something the item symbolizes about their teaching/union experiences or identity. Join us!

*Please note: This session is only open to BCTF members who identify as BIPOC and is limited to 24 participants.

Facilitators: Aaron Anthony (West Vancouver Teachers’ Association), Litia Fleming (Kootenay

Columbia Teachers Association), Carolina Ganga (Comox Teachers’ Association), Nisha Gill (Surrey

Teachers’ Association), Melissa Illing (Coquitlam Teachers’ Association), Serena Pattar (Richmond

Teachers’ Association), Chiana van Katwijk (Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association), and BCTF IRIS staff.

46. Promotion Strategies to Increase Turnout for Your Next Event—Neville Scarfe 202

This workshop will give you promotion strategies to get more people to register for your next event, training, opportunity, or conference. You’ll learn practical tips you can put in place right away, such as:

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• what types of emails get people to register if you have a list, and when should you send them out? • what actually works to get attendees and panelists to promote the event inside their own networks? • what are the three things you can do the week after the event to increase registration for future events? • what strategies are most important for conferences that require someone to pay during the registration process? As part of the workshop, you will receive a workbook containing checklists and a step-by-step plan that you can follow for your next event. Facilitator: Jason Dewolfe, BCTF staff, Digital Strategy

47. Supporting Members in Conflict—Neville Scarfe 203

Whether members have been wronged by another member or they have been accused of wrongdoing, supporting them in managing conflict requires objectivity, sensitivity, and empathy.

Members may be agitated and irrational when they come to you, feeling angry and vengeful, perceiving their professional reputation to be in jeopardy. They are often at their most vulnerable when reaching out to you for support. This workshop will cover the BCTF internal processes, how to access Internal Mediation Service and how to file a Code of Ethics complaint, and the external process of filing a bullying and harassment complaint through the employer or with Worksafe BC.

Local officers can support members in making informed decisions about how to navigate conflict to help them find their desired resolution.

Facilitators: Lori Jones, Assistant Director, Field Service Division and Sherry Payne, Assistant

Director, Professional & Social Issues Division

48. Surviving and Thriving in Local Offices—Neville Scarfe 205

(Also offered August 24, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.)

Stressed and overwhelmed are words frequently used by local union officers to describe themselves, for good reason. Their challenges are real, significant, and on-going. This informative and interactive workshop is designed to help Local Presidents and other released officers not just survive but even thrive in their local union roles. After activities ranging from the philosophical to the practical, participants will leave uplifted and armed for the year ahead!

Facilitators: Suzanne Hall and George Serra, Assistant Directors, Field Service Division

49. Teaching in a Time of Climate Crisis: Creating Systemic Change for Seven Generations—Neville

Scarfe 200

(Also offered August 24, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.)

This elective is designed to help teachers increase their climate literacy and work towards systemic change. Following the principle of consideration for seven generations, in the tradition of the indigenous stewards of this land, we will explore ways that we can use our role as workers in the education system, to identify and work towards just and equitable decarbonization in our schools and school districts.

Facilitator(s): Ditta Cross and Tara Ehrcke, members of the Committee for Action on Social Justice

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50. The Basics of Joint Occupational Health and Safety (JOHS) Committees—Neville Scarfe 210

(Also offered August 24, 2:30 to 4:00 p.m.)

How do joint occupational health and safety committees work? Are you interested in getting involved in health and safety in your school, local or district? JOHS committees have been at the forefront during the pandemic focusing on personal protective equipment, hierarchy of controls, and ventilation. There are many other relevant issues in protecting the health and safety rights of all workers. This session will look at committee roles and responsibilities and relevant legislation.

Facilitator: Toni Grewal, Assistant Director, Income Security Division

51. Working Towards Professional Autonomy Guidelines—Neville Scarfe 208

(Also offered August 24, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m.)

This workshop will present to members a working document on professional autonomy. The purpose of creating guidelines is to support teachers in being consciously reflective of their professional autonomy as well as their rights and responsibilities as a teacher. The workshop will touch on the following themes: the value and purpose of public education; the meaning, importance, and practice of teachers’ professional autonomy; professional autonomy in terms of collective agreements and bargaining; and professional autonomy as it relates to the union’s priorities and commitments to reconciliation, solidarity, and social justice.

Facilitators: Runa Bjarnason-Wilson and Adrienne Demers, members of the Professional Issues

Advisory Committee

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