January 2 2006
 
David Armstrong
Director
Bluewater District School Board
 
Patrick Cureton
Director
Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board
 
Dear Patrick and David;
 
The Grey-Bruce Labour in co-operation with Bruce Power is pleased to once again offer the Day of Mourning Award opportunity to young workers and graduating secondary school students from both the Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board and the Bluewater District School Board. The application fully explains the award, and with your help and the help of the delegates to Labour Council it is hoped that this opportunity is widely distributed throughout the secondary schools in the two school boards.
 
In 2005, official Day of Mourning ceremonies in our region to honour workers injured, diseased, and killed in all workplaces in Canada were held at Bruce Power, the IWA Hall in Hanover, and the CAW Family Education Centre in Port Elgin. One student from WDSS spoke at the Bruce Power Ceremony. In looking back the addition of youth / young workers, the most at risk group for death, disease, and injury in the workplace, to the ceremony was most helpful in ensuring ongoing and ever growing awareness and education on the issue of health and safety in all workplaces.   
 
On behalf of the Grey-Bruce Labour Council, The Voice of Over 7,000 Workers in Grey-Bruce, I would like to thank-you in advance for any help you can provide in this area.
 
In the interest of ensuring that all available educational opportunities are a matter of common knowledge, I have taken the liberty of including a copy of the 2004 / 2005 Talking Union Report. A number of schools and teachers in both boards currently make use of this program, and by sending this along to both of you I hope to make you aware of the program and to offer dialog on this item or any item that the Labour Council can be of service with. Thankfully OSSTF and OECTA are supportive of this program. Further to this, Bruce Power and The Power Worker's Union support this program with significant literal and moral vigour.  
 
We have worked very hard during the 2005, leading into 2006, to ensure that schools utilize the speakers for any class or classes that may benefit from our presence. Prior to this we had quite often only spoke to co-op classes. It is now clear to us that the presentation can have a broader application.
 
The initial note (underlined) above the report is letter I sent out to some school contacts as we head in to 2006.
 
Kindest Personal Regards
 
Best Wishes for 2006;
 
As the new year opens up it is my pleasure to contact you and encourage you to consider permitting us to once again present information on Unions, Health and Safety, and Skilled Trades to any and all classes that may benefit from such a presentation.
 
I have included the copy of the 2004 / 2005 Talking Union report again to give you easy access to relevant information on the program.
 
Should you consider inviting us into your school, please feel free to invite any and all classes that may benefit from such a presentation.
 
Kindest Personal Regards,
 
Dave Trumble
President
Grey-Bruce Labour Council
 
 
Please find the completed Talking Union report for the school year 2004 / 2005.
On behalf of the speakers, and all those we have connected with in
our region through your ongoing support, I wish to express deep gratitude.
Further, we look forward to engaging any or all of you in discussion on any
points or questions that may arise from this document and the program in general.

Kindest Personal Regards,
Dave Trumble

 

BACKGROUND

Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) Speakers Bureau         

The Ontario Federation of Labour's Education Department
administratively supports the speakers' bureau at a provincial level.
Through a train the trainer approach the bureau provides material for trade
union speakers to visit schools and publicly promote labour's vision of good
education and training. Trade-unionists who have completed the training, and
who can make themselves available as often as possible carry out speaking
engagements in secondary schools in their region. 

Thankfully in 2004 / 2005 the vision of good education and training
is closely aligned with the values of progressive employers such as Bruce
Power. This is particularly true in the areas of employee health and safety.

The Ontario secondary school curriculum has a mandatory section on
Unions, and it is at this point in the curriculum that many schools seek out
the services of these trained speakers to help cover the topic.

OFL staff can act as a single point of contact for most Ontario
schools seeking speakers, but It is quite often the case that once a speaker
ultimately makes contact with any school, the school will make direct
contact with the speaker(s) for any further engagements rather than through
the OFL.  This is a natural evolution and invites long-term relationships
with teachers, schools and speakers.

Since the early 90's Kevin MacKay and Dave Trumble (both active
members of the PWU and the Grey-Bruce Labour Council) have spoken to the
secondary school co-op students at the Bruce Nuclear Site at the request of
the Bruce site co-op coordinator Kurt Hougesen, and with the support of
their union and employer. Kurt is a teacher in the Bluewater District School
Board. Until 1999 this speaking was based on an aggregate of accumulated
information from various Labour organizations, including the Power Workers
Union. Once the Speakers Bureau training was complete using the Talking
Union program information, the speaking engagements took on the formal look
they now have. This included adding Mike Dunn (active member in the PWU and
the Grey-Bruce Labour Council) to the speaker's roster.

The luxury of having Bruce Power and the PWU as partners in the
success of this program is that the speakers have the immediate ability in the
classroom to use the Bruce Power and the PWU as examples of organizations
that have values that put safety, ethics, integrity, and to use a term from
FIRST Robotics, Gracious Professionalism as priorities.

Additions to the format have been around taking time for greater
detail on health and safety issues, talking to the students about our
occupation(s), the training required to successfully acquire one of these
positions, and the opportunities one can find at our place of employment,
Bruce Power.

TRAINING MATERIAL

Talking Union

The OFL, in concert with various Unions, General Labour
Organizations, Teachers, and Union Educators has developed a package of>
materials for the use of the speakers. The material is what is referred to
as "Talking Union". The package contains participatory activities for use in
the classroom. Further included in the package are resources and activities
for teachers to use both before and after the speaker's visit.

"Talking Union," offers five different modules to choose from. What
is used for any given presentation will depend on factors such as the grade
level and subject of the class. The speaker will consult with the teacher to
find the one best suited to their students' needs and interests. This
consultation is one of the most relevant and useful components of the
speaker-teacher discussions that take place after the pre-visit material is
delivered, but before the actual visit by the speaker(s) takes place

The modules are:

WHAT DO UNIONS DO?

Secondary School students are generally poorly informed about what
unions do and the role they play in serving their members needs and needs of
the broader community. This module deals with the many functions unions
serve, the variety of people who belong to unions, the role unions play in
workers' lives, and how unions are linked to a better quality of life.

HEALTH AND SAFETY AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

It has been proven by such frightening statistics as the number of
workplace accidents amongst young workers that young people entering the
workforce are unfamiliar with their rights under the law. This is not
limited to knowledge of health and safety law, but it is the focus on H&S
that takes up the largest portion of the presentation on worker rights.  


The extension of this type of presentation is to ensure that
students fully understand the leadership role that unions have played in the
ever-evolving process of socially progressive legislation. Logically, the
difference between a progressive employer and a regressive employer is
discussed to ensure an understanding of the benefits of working in a
unionized shop where a progressive employer is present. In this case, Bruce
Power is used to give an example of progressive employer that fosters the
working relationship with the Unions, and advocates for better standards in
all facets of the workplace.   

UNIONS AND SOCIAL REFORM, AND UNIONS AND EQUALITY

This is discussed for the purposes of showing the broader social
context of the union movement. By example, this could be the women's
movement and such notions as union driven anti-violence, anti-discrimination
and anti-harassment collective agreement language.

THE PAST YEAR, 2004 / 2005

2004 / 2005 saw a year of continuing improvement in our delivery of
the material. The material is due for an upgrade, but remains vital in that
it is still relevant and useful.

The number of speaking engagements was down by a noticeable
percentage. In discussing this with school and education sector
representatives it was thought that teacher turnover due to transfers within
and outside of a particular school as well as the numbers of teacher
retirements factored significantly into this.  

The number of long term relationships with teachers in the region,
which still covers the area from Stratford to Barrie, remains relatively
stable not withstanding the previous comments on transfers and attrition /
retirement.


Support

The outstanding support from the Power Workers Union and Bruce Power
made the year a success. The total paid release days of six from each
entity, totalling twelve, made it easy for us as speakers to commit ourselves
to the various schools in our region. Further, the PWU continues to invite us to
present the basic presentation to the Stewards Basic Training / Leadership
sessions with an understanding that this will continue on
an as needed basis.

Further to the six identified days for Bruce Power and the PWU,
Bruce Power's offer of being able to seek more days on an as needed basis is
a comforting cushion. Never far from our thoughts of support was the PWU's
gracious addition of days in 2002/2003 when we need them, and it is hoped
that should we see more engagements surface this coming year that this would
also be a route to secure adequate days for this very much needed work.    

It goes without saying that as the primary speakers, Kevin, Mike,
and I are hoping for ongoing and equivalent support for 2005 /2006.

Classes

During the past school year the following schools invited the
Talking Union program into their schools; (in most cases in the fall term
and the spring term)

Northwestern Secondary School, Stratford

St. Anne's, Clinton

Kincardine D.S.S.

Walkerton District S.S.

South Huron S.S., Exeter

Chesley D.S.S


These schools totalled up to some 20 different classes being exposed
to the program. In every case the school remains anxious for our return
based on comments from the teachers involved.

In 2004 Rob Ellis spoke to many Bruce Power employees about
H&S in the workplace and ensuring that young workers are provided the
necessary training to protect their H&S and that of their co-workers. In
a brief Q&A period following the presentation Dave Khan, V-P IT and
Business Improvement for Bruce Power, indicated an interest in
attending at least one of the Talking Union sessions. In 2005 Dave
was able to attend the South Huron Secondary School presentation
in Exeter with Dave Trumble. Dave Khan not only attended the day,
but was an active presenter throughout the two half-day sessions.
    
As mentioned we had the privilege of also speaking to the Bruce
Power co-op students for an entire day and the PWU Stewards Basic Training /
Leadership this past year. In each situation we have continued the pattern
of making sure the issues around working at Bruce Power are delivered as a
pillar of the presentation. The obvious twist on this for the PWU training
is that we explain the good return in covering the issues around working
at Bruce Power, and what it takes to be successful in obtaining a position
within Bruce Power along with all pertinent information from the Talking Union material.

Conclusion

The return on investment for Bruce Power, and the PWU is that
the program is further indication to the community that the organizations
are proactive community partners. Additionally, and perhaps even more importantly,
is the realization that the program is educating young workers and students
in a way that helps to protect their H&S and ensures a basic knowledge of
their rights in the workplace.  

As primary speakers we will be endeavouring to seek out material to
ensure as up to date a presentation as possible will be ready for 2005 /
2006. The motivation to continue the speaking engagements is at as a high a
level as ever, and it with this enthusiasm that Mike, Kevin, and I look
forward to the next year and the ongoing support of Bruce Power and the PWU.

Respectfully Submitted, Sept. 14th, 2005

Dave Trumble
Kevin MacKay
Mike Dunn