Union education update

BCGEU Treasurer Stephanie Smith is participating in the 2012 Trade Union Program at Harvard. Here is her mid-term update.

I’m half way through the Harvard Trade Union Program in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

There are 34 participants in the course: six Canadians, two from the UK, two from Australia and one from Vietnam. The rest of the class is made up of trade unionists from across the United States. Some are staff representatives. Others like me are elected officials. We come from a mix of public and private sector unions and diverse working backgrounds. There are police officers, firefighters, tradespeople, plus healthcare and education union staff.

Despite our differences, we have one thing in common: we recognize unions, and the working people we represent, are under attack. Wages, benefits and working conditions are at risk. So is retirement security. Many people in the U.S. are losing their right to bargain. The powerful are blaming labour for the financial crisis, which we know was created by corporate greed. They’re telling us we have to pay for the fix.

The program has introduced me to an array of presenters, with a wide range of experience and expertise, from all over the world. Their presentations have led to many comprehensive group discussions. We talked about the need for unions to be proactive, adaptable, flexible and relevant to members and the broader community. We’ve discussed why we need to be attentive to ways in which employers and governments try to undermine us. We’ve also talked about coalition building with community groups, the public, employers and government.

I can’t believe how much valuable information has been shared.

As speaker Roger McKenzie from UNISON in the UK said: “this is an incredible time of opportunity if we choose to make it so.”

I’m excited about the challenges ahead.