Courses

This is a three-day course with homework and mentoring

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.

Note: This course is not for people who avoid conflict.

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

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.

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.

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
• Hands-on activities
• Group discussion
• Multiple choice quizzes

Learning outcomes:

• Describe some historical events and conflicts that led government to pass laws aimed at protecting workers’ health and safety.
• Recognize the difference between the OHS Act, Regulation and Code, and other legislation.
• Tell others about your safety rights, the internal responsibility system, and the obligations of both employers and workers.
• Identify common workplace hazards and how they are associated with injuries and illnesses.
• Evaluate different ways of controlling hazards.
• Examine the intent of workplace injury reporting and the reality of under-reporting.

This is a one-day course. 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

This course is for: All members

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

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

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.

Politics is not just for politicians. Figure out how you and your union have the political power to make positive changes in your home, workplace, community and the world.

Note: This course is not focused on electoral politics or the political landscape.

Prerequisites: Intro to Your Union

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

Learning outcomes:

• Recognize how seemingly “neutral” parts of our lives are shaped by political power and political decisions.
• Understand why employers favour depoliticized unions and what we as union activists can do to influence political decisions.

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!"

Have you and your coworkers ever gotten frustrated with the "official channels" blocking solutions on the worksite?

Is your employer driving you wild by ignoring your issues?

Then this course is for you!

Workplace power will give you the skills you need to build collective power with your coworkers to be able to challenge your employer and improve your working conditions and quality of life at work.

Prerequisite: None

This course is for: All members
 
This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual and group activities

 
Learning outcomes:

• Recognize how power operates in the workplace.
• Develop technical skills around workplace organizing such as mapping and leader identification.
• Examine how to have one-to-one organizing conversations.
• Build strategies around addressing issues in the workplace collectively.

This is a One-day course

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.
   

This is a two-day course.

This course focuses on basic conflict management skills. The class offers an opportunity to learn about yourself when it comes to facing conflict both in and out of the workplace. It approaches effective communication as a strategy when it comes to conflict. Learn about effective questioning and non-violent communication. Assess conflict management styles and develop strategies to approach conflict.

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.
   

Two-week course

Collective Bargaining is your right as a Union member!

This course will outline collective bargaining and how this right was fought and won. It will provide an in-depth look at how your Negotiating Teams are elected under AUPE's Constitution and provide insight into obtaining a collective agreement under the Alberta Labour Legislation. You will also review the process of Essential Services Agreements and their impact on negotiating collective agreements.

Prerequisite: Introduction to Your Union

This course is for: Members who want a better understanding of the bargaining process. 

This course utilizes: 

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

Learning outcomes:

• Describe collective bargaining.
• Outline how Negotiating Teams are elected under the Constitution.
• Identify the four (4) stages of collective bargaining. 
• Discover the effects of ESAs on the collective bargaining process.
• Explain the importance of workplace power and the effect collective actions have on bargaining.

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.

Two-week course; complete at your own pace

This course focuses on basic conflict management skills. The class offers an opportunity to learn about yourself when it comes to facing conflict both in and out of the workplace. It approaches effective communication as a strategy when it comes to conflict. Learn about effective questioning and non-violent communication. Assess conflict management styles and develop strategies to approach conflict.

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.

Ongoing

AUPE Component Officers require many skills to run their Local/Chapter effectively. This online asynchronous course will aid in providing component officers with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in their roles. Through videos and activities, the Component Officer training offers information on the responsibilities of officers, building communication skills, and understanding how to support your members.
 
This course is not meant to replace the in-person Local Chair and Vice Chair Workshop training held at AUPE Headquarters but acts as a reference that officers can return to at any time.

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 is for: Members who want to learn the basics to reading and interpreting their collective agreement.

This course utilizes: 

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

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.

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 is a two-day course.

Beyond union elections and meetings, unions are inherently political organizations. Despite this, many members struggle with a lack of engagement in both AUPE and broader democratic institutions.

Democratic unions are stronger unions; exploring the importance of participation, and your role as an active union member, this course will support you in thinking critically about our existing systems and provide you with an understanding of how to get involved in AUPE’s democratic processes.

Prerequisites: Intro to Your Union
 

Two-week course; complete at your own pace plus a zoom meeting

Calling all worker safety representatives and committee co-chairs! Are you looking for an overview of your role? This course explains Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSCs). Join us to gain practical knowledge and tools that help make your committee work more effective. From worker rights to frequent committee activities, you’ll learn about hazard inspections, recommendation writing, incident investigations, and more.

Prerequisite: You are appointed or elected as worker representative or co-chair for a joint health and safety committee.

This course is for: Open to members currently elected or appointed as a worker representative for a Joint Health and Safety Committee.

Note: If you’re not currently a member of a Joint Health and Safety Committee, you can still learn about the topic using AUPE’s free Worker Representative and Co-Chair Handbook.

Also, this course is not a substitute for training that employers must provide members of JHSCs, as required in safety legislation.

This course utilizes:

• Videos
• Readings
• Short exercises
• One mandatory Zoom meeting. For the meeting date and time, consult the long description in the online registration system or your welcome letter. 

Learning outcomes:

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Distinguish the duties of worker representatives and committee co-chairs.
• Report incidents and near misses.
• Participate in a worksite hazard inspection.
• Research solutions to health and safety issues and write a recommendation.
• Evaluate your employer’s OHS program and consider options to recommend for improvement.
• Access resources and tools that will help you participate actively in your joint committee, including further training to participate in incident investigations.

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.

Prerequisites: Introduction to Your Union

This course is for: Members interested in gaining a basic understanding of occupational health and safety.

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Exercises using legislation
• Case studies
• Videos
• Hands-on activities
• Group discussion
• Multiple choice quizzes

Learning outcomes:

• Describe some historical events and conflicts that led government to pass laws aimed at protecting workers’ health and safety.
• Recognize the difference between the OHS Act, Regulation and Code, and other legislation.
• Tell others about your safety rights, the internal responsibility system, and the obligations of both employers and workers.
• Identify common workplace hazards and how they are associated with injuries and illnesses.
• Evaluate different ways of controlling hazards.
• Examine the intent of workplace injury reporting and the reality of under-reporting.

Two-week course; complete at your own pace.

What is working-class history, and why does it matter, anyway? Have you ever wondered why and how workers formed the first trade unions? This introductory course will help you see yourself in the past, so you can better understand yourself in the present. You’ll learn how history integrates with activism. Gain access to the traditions and knowledge that inform the struggles of your fellow workers and their unions!
 
Note: This course will not provide a complete picture of the “jigsaw puzzle of the past.” Rather, it gives you tools and a basic understanding to help you continue your own journey through labour history.
 
Prerequisite: Introduction to Your Union.
 
This course is for: Anyone who wants to understand the past through a working-class lens and gain some insights into present-day struggles for democracy.
 
This course utilizes:

• Various exercises, like a personal reflection, a mind-map, and an oral history.
• Videos, primary documents, comics, photos, digital museums, walking tours, and academic articles (to learn how to independently access historical information).
• Module quizzes and matching exercises help you check your understanding.
• AUPE’s award-winning animated labour history video series and video interviews with labour historians. 

Learning outcomes:

• Recognize how your life and family stories are affected by history and part of history.
• Identify what qualifies as working-class history, and how workers’ make it collectively.
• Apply historical thinking skills to case studies in history.
• Appreciate the struggles for legitimacy and better life conditions of early labour unionists.
• Outline the transition from early factories and craft unions to mass production and industrial unions.
• Describe the expansion of the welfare state and the rise of public sector unions – and the subsequent attack on both.

Two-week course; complete at your own pace. 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

This course is for: All members

This course utilizes:

• Lecture
• Videos
• Discussions
• Individual activities

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

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.

Ongoing

Unions have long called for joint bodies, such as Labour-Management Committees, to serve as formal structures for dealing with issues and concerns. The key feature of joint committees is equal representation of labour (union) and employer representatives.

Labour-Management Committees can be a critical part of the union’s strategy for representing members. They can be an additional arena for union activity and a mechanism for representing members’ interests as new issues arise. It also can assist in keeping members informed about critical issues.

This course will help you learn to structure a new committee or energize an existing one, develop an agenda and run effective meetings.

Prerequisites: This course is for members who sit on their worksite Joint Labour-Management Committee.

This course utilizes:

• Written Materials
• Videos; and
• Ongoing discussions

Learning outcomes:

• Define the purpose of Labour-Management Committees.
• Illustrate how to establish and maintain a Labour-Management Committee, including the roles and responsibilities of those involved with the Committee.
• Discover how to prepare for a Labour-Management meeting with focus on agenda submissions and labour caucusing.
• Describe how to effectively run the joint meeting and prepare for action items.
• Distinguish the responsibilities following the meetings.

This course allows members of Labour-Management Committees to post discussion topics for feedback from fellow members who also sit on committees. It provides a space for networking and identifying what is working on other committees from your fellow members. The course will remain open for continual idea exchanges and peer feedback.

Two-week course; complete at your own pace.

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 utilizes:

• Videos and audio recordings
• Readings
• Short exercises - including reviewing the hazard assessment for your job, stories and mini-case studies, and 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 and / or your welcome letter 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.

Ongoing

AUPE falls under the Alberta Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). PIPA outlines the guidelines that organizations must use to collect and share personal information.

This course will identify what measures you must use to keep people's personal information safe, including:

• Physical Security;
• Technological Security;
• Administrative Security; and
• Procedures to handle breaches and access requests.

You will also learn about the proper use of information, the consequences under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and properly destroying personal information.

Any AUPE member who requests information must take this PIPA course or sign a declaration.

Prerequisites: None

This course is for: Members who are requesting information from AUPE.