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“NUPGE’s Leadership Development School is an important part of labour education for our activists. Conducting the school online does limit some networking potential, but the issues facing our leaders cannot wait until after the pandemic.” ― NUPGE President, Larry Brown
Ottawa (12 Nov. 2021) ― The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has successfully concluded its 22nd Leadership Development School (LDS). The school ran for 3 days on Zoom.
Accountability and good governance in unions
Larry Brown, NUPGE President, kicked off the first session of LDS with a presentation on Accountability and Good Governance in Unions. Brown’s presentation focused on the importance of unions acting as a coherent organization to serve the best interest of the members. Unions have an obligation to act on the majority vote while listening to all perspectives.
Stop, start, continue: an analysis for unions
Dr. Elaine Bernard served as Executive Director of the Labor and Worklife Program at Harvard Law School from 1989–2017. Dr. Bernard was one of the co-creators of NUPGE’s LDS in 1999. NUPGE is grateful that Dr. Bernard continues to share her experience at LDS even though she has officially retired.
Dr. Bernard was the core instructor at LDS and taught a total of 5 sessions. Her first sessions, Sharing Skills and Experience, and Stop, Start, Continue Analysis for Unions, had participants work in groups and share about an area their union was exemplary in, an area where their union needed to improve, and a challenge that would need to be addressed in the future. The pandemic has provided a prime time for adaptive leadership and for changing practices and policies to be better and more equitable for all.
Presentation by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society
On the second day of LDS, participants listened to presentations from the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. Madelaine McCracken, the education and public engagement coordinator, and Jennifer King, the reconciliation and policy coordinator, spoke to participants about the process of reconciliation.
McCracken and King shared the idea that reconciliation is not about good or bad people; it’s about taking our collective history and moving to ensure every child matters. They also shared an adage from their executive director, Cindy Blackstock, that governments don’t create change, they respond to it. McCracken and King also encouraged participants to read and share the Spirit Bear Plan on ending inequalities in public services for First Nations children, youth and families.
Talking strategic change and adaptive leadership
Dr. Bernard’s session on day 2 focused on how unions help various parties and how to increase membership and member engagement. The core of Dr. Bernard’s presentation was that unions are a vehicle for democracy by actively telling members they have a right to voice their opinion on matters that affect them. Members shared the incident that lit their fire and inspired them to get involved in the union movement.
Leadership: Heart, head and hands
Dr. Bernard’s first session on day 3 built on the teachings of the previous sessions. She explained the concept of Heart, Head, and Hands as a communication method: Heart (motivation and commitment) as the why, Head (strategic thinking) as the how, and Hand (skills and taking action) as the what. Different tactics appeal to different people so Dr. Bernard stressed that it’s important for unions to consider all 3 prongs of heart, head, and hands when setting policies, creating campaigns, and other work.
Participants shared personal examples of talking about unions in ways that encourage people to get active. Scott Cloney, from the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE) mentioned that he talks about how, “unions even the playing field and stand up to bullies.”
Stopping austerity before it starts
Larry Brown, NUPGE President, delivered the last session of LDS by speaking to participants about how to combat austerity.
If the current deficit is truly caused by COVID, as politicians arguing for austerity claim, then logic holds that, once the pandemic ends, the economy will return to normal and the economy will grow. However, if governments react by squeezing the economy through austerity measures they risk an economic depression. He drew parallels to the deficit accumulated by spending during WWII. Because governments didn't enact austerity measures after the war, the economy grew faster between 1945 and 1965 than it ever had before.
Brown mentioned reports from economists and policy researchers that show investing in public services is good for the economy. He used what could happen if governments spent what's needed to end homelessness as an example. Spending to end homelessness creates a healthier society, takes pressure off health care systems, and gets people into the workforce and contributing to the economy. Brown also challenged the idea that a deficit in the economy is the only deficit that matters, listing the deficits in environmental protections, infrastructure, and child care.
“Coming out of COVID, people saw the fallacy of the argument that you can like the public service you rely on and still cut the service,” said Brown. “If workers were important in March 2020, they’re still important now.”
NUPGE would like to thank Dr. Bernard, Madelaine McCracken, and Jennifer King for sharing their wisdom and experience, and all the participants of the 22nd Leadership Development School. Whether you are a current or future leader of the labour movement, NUPGE is proud to have been part of your education on your journey to make working life and society better for all who live in Canada.
