Courses

Calgary:

• May 24 & 25, 2023

Edmonton:

• June 6 & 7, 2023

Lethbridge:

• May 17 & 18, 2023
• June 14 & 15, 2023

This is a two-day course.

When you’ve challenged your boss, has someone told you, "That's not in the contract! There's nothing we can do about it!"

Ever gotten frustrated with the "official channels" blocking solutions on the worksite?
Is your employer driving you crazy by taking years to resolve that one pesky grievance?

Then this course is for you!

Direct Action will give you the skills you need to take collective action to change working conditions and improve life for you and your coworkers!

Note: Direct Action will provide options and resources to workplace issues that affect a majority of workers. This does not replace the grievance procedure for individuals.

This course is for: All members.

Prerequisites: None

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

Learning outcomes:

• Empower members to create change in their worksites.
• Build solidarity of co-workers through exposure to direct action methods.
• Increase capacity for managing problems in the workplace that are not collective agreement violations.

Calgary:

• June 13-15, 2023

Edmonton & Lethbridge:

• June 27-29, 2023

This three-day course also requires pre-reading, homework, and mentorship

As a Union Steward you will be a champion for your worksite, a grievance handler, and help your fellow workers resolve worksite issues through alternate avenues.

In this course, we will cover: Roles and Responsibilities of a Steward, Interviewing Members, Collective Action, Investigations, Disciplinary and Non-Disciplinary Grievances, Legislation, the Grievance Handling Process from start to finish, including Grievance Writing and Presentation. The program will include duty to accommodate situations and exposure to many other workplace scenarios.

You will be expected to attend to complete the pre-reading online module, all three days of training, and complete a homework assignment within a specific time period to continue on to the mentoring component of the program.

This course is not for people who avoid conflict.

This course is for: Those who want to learn about labour relations, collective action, and actively represent fellow members. This means going to investigations, filing grievances, collective action, and working with AUPE staff and members to resolve issues.

Prerequisites: Intro to Your Union, Basic Conflict Management, Intro to OHS, Contract Interpretation and must be a Nominated Steward.

This course utilizes:

• Lectures
• Polls
• Discussions
• Videos
• Individual, paired and group activities
• Practical application to grievance handling for onsite issues to include homework and mentorship

Learning outcomes:

• Demonstrate grievance-handling steps by interpreting collective agreements.
• Select and complete relevant grievance handling documents to support the grievance.
• Demonstrate interviewing techniques through roleplaying.
• Apply facts from case studies to identify breach of rights within collective agreements, Alberta legislation, including Duty to Accommodate.
• Suggest alternate forums to resolve issues that are not a grievance.
• Apply all the Grievance Handling Steps as per policies 10-14 and 10-16.
• Explain the Union Steward’s role in the Duty of Fair Representation.

Calgary:

• May 30 & 31, 2023
• June 7 & 8, 2023

Edmonton & Lethbridge:

• May 10 & 11, 2023
• June 21 & 22, 2023

This is a two-day course. The course is also offered online.

This introductory course provides an overview of health and safety in the workplace, with a special focus on the safety rights of workers. We review some history of health and safety issues, laws, the internal responsibility system, hazard identification and AUPE support.

You will learn about assessment tools and gain confidence in contributing towards a culture of safety in the workplace. You will also leave the course with access to valuable resources to continue learning about OHS.

This course is for: Members interested in gaining a basic understanding of Occupational Health and Safety.

Prerequisites: Introduction to Your Union

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Exercises using legislation
• Case studies
• Videos
• Group discussion

Learning Outcomes:

• Reflect on the historical events and issues that led to legislation in occupational health and safety
• Recognize the different between the OHS Act, Regulation and Code, as well as other legislation
• Examine the Internal Responsibility System as it pertains to responsibilities of the Employer and Worker
• Describe workplace injuries and how they are associated to hazards
• Evaluate hazard controls as they pertain to workplace hazard identification and assessments
• Examine the intent of workplace injury reporting and the reality of under reporting

Calgary:

• June 21, 2023

Edmonton & Lethbridge:

• May 24, 2023
• June 13, 2023

This course is also offered online.

What does the union do for me, and what is my responsibility to my union?

This course will provide you with a basic overview of how the labour movement was integral to lobbying for the legislated rights and working conditions that we enjoy today. You will review AUPE’s structure and democratic process.

This course will begin your learning journey with AUPE and help offer opportunities to be active within your union.

Prerequisites: None

Note: This course does not teach how to read your collective agreement. This topic is covered in the “Contract Interpretation” course.

This course is for: All members.

Prerequisites: None.

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

Learning outcomes:

• Identify AUPE’s mission statement and union principles.
• Discover history of labour that has brought the union to where it is today.
• Establish how AUPE provides support to its membership.
• Investigate the leadership structure and governance of AUPE from the members at the worksite to Convention.
• Assess various opportunities available to AUPE members.

Available online only:

• April 3-17, 2023

Two week course, complete at your own pace

In this course, you’ll focus on basic conflict management skills. You’ll look at effective communication as a strategy for preventing negative conflicts and how prevention strategies can be used to address a conflict before it gets destructive. You’ll assess your own conflict management styles (strengths and challenges) and learn the range of options available to you in managing your own conflicts when they arise.

Note: While this course will provide tools for conflict management, we will not be focused on your individual conflict scenario during the course.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Your Union

This course utilizes:

• Readings
• Videos
• Quizzes
• Games
• Discussion boards
• Interactive activities

Setup: This online course can be worked through at your own pace and there will be a facilitator in the course with you. You will have two weeks to complete. After the final date if you have finished all course content and posted to the discussion boards you will receive your completion certificate.

Learning outcomes:

• Describe conflict in the workplace.
• Recognize how your own perceptions of conflict may influence how you deal with conflicts.
• Relate how conflicts are made up of stories.
• Connect our identity makes up our diversity and approach to building relationships.
• Identify the role of communication in conflict.
• Develop a range of interpersonal communication skills for handling conflicts.
• Discover various conflict management styles and their strengths and challenges.
• Compare various strategies to prevent unhealthy conflicts.

Available online only:

• May 1-15, 2023

Two week course, complete at your own pace

Your collective agreement can be a powerful tool. You have fought for what is contained in your collective agreement and it is important to enforce your rights within your agreement. In this course, you will learn seven steps to reading a collective agreement, examining contract language, and applying an approach to determine contract violations.

Note: This course is not a forum for discussion on individual workplace issues.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Your Union

This course utilizes: 

• Readings
• Videos
• Quizzes
• Games
• Discussion boards
• Case studies

Setup: This online course can be worked through at your own pace and there will be a facilitator in the course with you. You will have two weeks to complete. After the final date if you have finished all course content and posted to the discussion boards you will receive your completion certificate.

Learning outcomes:

• Identify the importance and process to attain an agreement.
• Demonstrate the steps in reading a collective agreement.
• Compare case studies to determine if the language is enforceable or non-enforceable.
• Apply the systematic approach to various scenarios.
• Determine if a workplace issue is grievable and if there are other ways to reach a resolution.

Online dates:

• May 15-29, 2023

Two week course, complete at your own pace. This course is also offered in-person.

This introductory course provides an overview of health and safety in the workplace, with a special focus on the safety rights of workers. We review some history of health and safety issues, laws, the internal responsibility system, hazard identification and AUPE support.

You will learn about assessment tools and gain confidence in contributing towards a culture of safety in the workplace. You will also leave the course with access to valuable resources to continue learning about OHS.

This course is for: Members interested in gaining a basic understanding of Occupational Health and Safety.

Prerequisites: Introduction to Your Union

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Exercises using legislation
• Case studies
• Videos
• Group discussion

Learning Outcomes:

• Reflect on the historical events and issues that led to legislation in occupational health and safety
• Recognize the different between the OHS Act, Regulation and Code, as well as other legislation
• Examine the Internal Responsibility System as it pertains to responsibilities of the Employer and Worker
• Describe workplace injuries and how they are associated to hazards
• Evaluate hazard controls as they pertain to workplace hazard identification and assessments
• Examine the intent of workplace injury reporting and the reality of under reporting

Online dates:

• May 23-June 19, 2023

This course is also offered in-person.

What does the union do for me, and what is my responsibility to my union?

This course will provide you with a basic overview of how the labour movement was integral to lobbying for the legislated rights and working conditions that we enjoy today. You will review AUPE’s structure and democratic process.

This course will begin your learning journey with AUPE and help offer opportunities to be active within your union.

Prerequisites: None

Note: This course does not teach how to read your collective agreement. This topic is covered in the “Contract Interpretation” course.

This course is for: All members.

Prerequisites: None.

Setup: This online course can be worked through at your own pace and there will be a facilitator in the course with you. You will have two weeks to complete. After the final date if you have finished all course content and posted to the discussion boards you will receive your completion certificate.

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

Learning outcomes:

• Identify AUPE’s mission statement and union principles.
• Discover history of labour that has brought the union to where it is today.
• Establish how AUPE provides support to its membership.
• Investigate the leadership structure and governance of AUPE from the members at the worksite to Convention.
• Assess various opportunities available to AUPE members.

Available online only:

• June 5-19, 2023

To join an OHS committee or fulfill the duties of a worksite OHS representative, you’re going to need the knowledge, skills and values that make a culture of safety possible. But the challenge is growing – many employers put safety at the bottom of their to-do list. And what’s worse, Alberta’s UCP government has run our OHS legislation through the paper shredder. It’s time to rise up and fight!

In OHS for Union Activists, you’ll discover the basics of joint committees, and go beyond. We’ll explore why you need to file safety grievances, bargain for safety, and organize collective action for power in your workplace. It’s all about defending the most vulnerable workers and making sure everyone goes home healthy and safe at the end of their shift.

Prerequisite: Introduction to OHS

This course is for: Members who have completed "Intro to OHS" and who want to join a joint OHS committee, learn how to deal with OHS issues, or bargain and organize for safety. AUPE encourages all members interested in taking OHS for Union Activists to also take Foundations for Union Stewards and become a Steward.
 
This course uses:  

• Videos and audio recordings  
• Readings
• Short exercises - including reviewing the hazard assessment for your job
• Stories and mini case studies
• Group discussion / Online discussion forum
• Meetings: This course includes up to three meetings using Zoom videoconferencing. Consult the long description in the online registration system for mandatory meeting dates and times.

Learning outcomes:

• Relate to others how your own experiences of workplace health and safety are part of a larger problem that affects workers unequally.
• Explain different processes for resolving OHS problems and holding your employer accountable, and describe when it makes sense to try them
• Describe the duties of joint OHS committee members, how to formally inspect a worksite, and where to find more resources and training
• Propose improvements in health and safety language in your collective agreement and file grievances to defend your contract and promote a culture of safety
• Orient your co-workers to health and safety practices, and have one-to-one conversations to organize for power

Available online only:

• April 12, 2023
• May 16, 2023
• June 21, 2023

Strike? Lockout? Essential Services? Scab? What do all these things mean?

Picket Captain Training is your one stop shop to equip you with the tools you need to be a leader at your worksite in the event of a strike or lockout. Workers have the power to make the world come to a standstill, yet it's our wealthy and powerful bosses who have almost all the power over our lives. Strikes and other forms of job action have always been our tools to shift power away from the bosses and into our hands.

This one-day course will go over everything from the steps that lead up to a strike and what to expect on a picket line, to what you need to do to win.

This course is for: Members who want to act as leaders on their worksite in the event of a strike or lockout.

Prerequisites: None

This course utilizes:

• Lectures
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

Learning outcomes:

• Know what to do to prepare ahead of time for the possibility of a strike or lockout.
• Be able to work with your fellow workers to organize a strong and disciplined picket line.
• Be confident in your ability to act as a leader on your worksite in the case of a strike or lockout.