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 Powering the Labour Movement since 1987 |
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A project of the Toronto & York Region Labour Council in partnership with George Brown College.
[COPE 343]
Joint training programs are also important to successful adjustment committees.
The Canadian Steel Trades and Employment Congress (CSTEC) established in 1984, is a joint labour/management adjustment programme that operates in the steel industry. CSTEC found out very early that the success of joint programmes depends on the ability of both sides to identify the "WIFM" ("What's in it for me?").
LEC offers "joint" committee training upon request of the union. Our joint training programme covers the steps that committees need to follow in the creation and delivery of an effective adjustment programme. We help unions and employers to set common goals and objectives. As well, we help adjustment committees develop an action plan that leads to the kind of results that both union and management can be proud of.
Action Centre Training and Assistance
Setting up and operating an "Action Centre" is normally the most important task of labour adjustment committees in the province of Ontario whenever there are large lay-offs.
What is an Action Centre?
Action Centres are resource centres that provide help to workers who are preparing for an upcoming lay-off or who have already been laid-off.
Action Centres provide employment counselling services, referrals to social service agencies, assistance with employment insurance problems, information on training and employment opportunities and seek out sources of new jobs for the people they are serving. They also provide assistance with resume preparation, computer and internet access along with fax services.
Action Centres may also develop partnerships with community organizations and educational institutions to provide training and assistance to the group of employees they are serving.
Some Action Centres operate out of the workplace, some out of union halls, while others rent their own space. In particularly large lay-offs, some Action Centres will stay in operation over a year after the shutdown.
Action Centres are usually staffed by volunteer "peer counsellors". Peer counsellors are usually laid-off employees who volunteer to assist their unemployed co-workers.
Operating an Action Centre is a big responsibility! It often involves handling substantial sums of money from the government, the employer and sometimes the union. Action Centre staff are required to be accountable for the money they spend and to provide statistical reports to the government and others on the services they've provided.
The Labour Education Centre has worked with more Action Centres than any other non-profit organization in Ontario.
We provide training and assistance to peer helpers and coordinators so that Action Centre staff are able to both effectively deliver the services they need to provide and are accountable to those who have provided funds.
- Manage substantial sums of employer/government/union funding
- Plan and deliver a wide range of programs and services provided by peers and outside service provider
- Establish partnerships with groups such as government, school boards and colleges, and community based training organizations
- Collect and report on information about finances and program and service outcomes.