RICHMOND – CUPE 4227 (support staff for B.C.’s Francophone School District 93) enjoyed a rare learning opportunity at their annual training session last week. The day-long courses, facilitated by CUPE 4227 President Francine Brisson with support from the local’s National Servicing Representative, focused on representing members in front of management and the steward’s role in bargaining.
Twenty members from around B.C. participated in the workshops, and CUPE 4227 invited management from the French School Board to a lunch where members had the opportunity to ask questions and get to know their counterparts across the table.
This meeting of workers with members of upper management was also a rare opportunity for the two sides to encounter each other in a social environment. Workers in the French School District rarely connect with senior management as the District Office is in Richmond and members work throughout B.C.
At the training, activists also dug deep into their collective agreements and began drafting proposals for the Local bargaining table later this year.
“Having a provincial local presents different challenges than other locals may have because we are B.C.-wide,” said Brisson. “These sessions give our activists the ability to connect and learn from each other.”
