CRESTON — CUPE’s Kootenay District Council (KDC) met in Creston from September 4 to September 7 to take care of business and upgrade their skills. The KDC executive kicked things off with an all-day session where they planned education for upcoming meetings and discussed different initiatives to encourage greater involvement in the Council.
“Training has become extremely popular in the Kootenays,” said National Education Representative Vanessa Wolff. “So much so that we even had a waitlist!”
Twenty-one members attended workshops from the Steward Learning Series, facilitated by Wolff and National Servicing Representative Jolene Lamoureux. Workshop sessions included Handling Discharge and Discipline and Conflict Skills for Stewards on Thursday and Notetaking on Friday morning.
Sector coordinators and other National servicing representatives joined members for sector meetings Friday afternoon. During the sector meetings, members identified common experiences and heard about issues pertinent to their sector throughout the Kootenays. When the full group reconvened, sector coordinators gave provincial updates.
Future training is being held on November 14 and 15. Training will include Introduction to Stewarding and What Stewards need to know about Health and Safety.
The KDC held its annual general meeting on Saturday, dealing with Council business and electing their executive for the coming year. Elected are President Michelle Bennett (CUPE 748), Treasurer Bob Reimer (CUPE 748), Membership Officer Janet Anderson (CUPE 440), and three-year Trustee Patti Pocha (CUPE 4165).
The elected members join executive members Vice President Anita Early (CUPE 748), Young Workers Representative Breanne Smith-Young (CUPE 4775), and Diversity Representative Hemi Kingi (CUPE 4775). By-elections for a second Vice President position, Recording Secretary, and a Trustee position will be held at the KDC meeting scheduled for November 16.
See photos from the weekend event here. Kootenays Meet and Learn
