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A project of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council in partnership with George Brown College.

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Labour Education Centre
Our Future Projects: 2008-2009

The work of LEC is framed within three strategic priorities: workers in the global economy, labour and community, and equity in unions.

Our programs involve research, resource development, network building, curriculum design, facilitation and consultation. We work in collaboration with members, staff and officers of unions, community groups, workers’ centres, and progressive academics, here and internationally.

Building on the work of the past few years, we intend to pursue the following initiatives in the next two years (2008-2009):

1. Labour Studies Program (registration is open to all)

  • Conduct open registration courses focusing on the following themes:
  • Labour History (with a focus on Toronto)
  • Immigration, Migrant Workers, and Union Building
  • First Nations Awareness for Workers
  • Anti-globalization Struggle: context, history, and strategies
  • Popular Education for organizing and leadership development

Labour certification will be arranged through Mohawk College.

  • Hold a series of roundtables as a follow up and to build on the report “Integrating Equity and Addressing Barriers in Education and Training: in the Workplace, in the Union”, extending the conversation to various communities (in partnership with Centre for the Study of Education and Work (OISE/UT) and funded by the Work and Learning Knowledge Centre).
  • As a follow up to the Labour Roundtables on Work and Learning co-sponsored by the CLC regional offices and WLKC (Toronto, Halifax, Moncton, St. John’s, Vancouver, and Regina), further pursue research and development projects to promote workplace training, in partnership with affiliates and community groups.

2. International Solidarity/anti-globalization Program: events and workshops.

This program is primarily meant to support a healthy discourse within labour on corporate globalization and to explore various alternatives to the neo-liberal agenda:

  • Participate in the Global Day of Action: “Another World is Possible: Cultures of Resistance”, being organized by Ryerson University/Toronto Social Forum (January 26, 2008)
  • Facilitate a workshop as part of the Building Power through Popular Education conference, organized by University of California Berkeley Labor Center (Feb. 21-22, 2008)
  • Host a workshop during a 4-day International Conference in Toronto, organized by USW Humanity Fund, with participation from South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Mexico (March 11-14, 2008)
  • Conduct a 3-day train-the-trainers workshop on anti-globalization for workers of colour/aboriginal workers to build labour-community partnership in challenging the corporate agenda in the community and in the workplace
  • Develop popular education tools and resources on anti-globalization to be used by activists in unions and communities
  • In collaboration with migrant workers’ centres, faith groups, and Canada-based Philippine solidarity groups, co-host exchange/educational events with unions from the Philippines
  • Continue to develop and conduct workshops on anti-globalization and international solidarity, in collaboration with various affiliates, international solidarity groups, community-based organizations, and international unions (year long)

3. Equity/Labour and Community Program:

  • Further develop/expand the network of 20 educators from community groups and unions to build a joint anti-globalization strategy that is both community and union-based
  • Develop workshop materials and train the trainers for the annual Aboriginal Workers and Workers of Colour Conference organized by the Toronto and York Labour Council (summer 2008)
  • Work with affiliates to help support their equity programs, through train the trainer workshops, conference planning, resource development, and policy research
  • Continue to support Council’s Equity Committee through research, training, and resource development (e.g., demographic survey of unions)
  • Represent Council in various equity committees and forums such as the Toronto District School Board’s Equity Policy Advisory Committee
  • In close partnership with Labour Community Services, develop labour-community initiatives that address issues of poverty, workers’ rights, racism, and violence in the community and the workplace
  • Collaborate with the academic community and university based unions, in research, resource development, and education on issues of globalization and its impact on the public sector, social services, and unionization

4. Leadership Development / Capacity Building Program:

  • Facilitate the annual Leadership Institute of the Toronto and York Labour Council
  • Work with equity caucuses and workers’ centres (e.g., Migrante, Workers Action Centre, and Justice for Migrant Workers) to develop capacity of aboriginal and racialized union members to participate more actively in their unions and remove systemic barriers to their participation
  • Through Labour Council, support the development of a program framework for an organizing institute based on the model of labour-community alliance
  • Continue to develop resources and conduct workshops on leadership development for affiliates and community groups
  • Work with members and their affiliates to develop a more critical and transformative approach to labour adjustment services so that not only are laid-off workers served, but also the root causes of unemployment, plant closures, and casualization are understood and addressed.

5. Literacy and Basic Skills

  • Continue working on literacy education with affiliates and community groups in the context of union building and social justice
  • Develop a holistic approach to the teaching/learning of math skills in the workplace, in collaboration with affiliates, Toronto Community Housing Corporation/CUPE, and various community groups
  • Provide academic upgrading for workers wishing to enter college, in partnership with Seneca College and the Preparatory Training Program

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