Job Steward Seminar

The 2026 Job Steward Seminar takes place from March 5 to 8, 2026 at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort.

About

MoveUP’s annual Job Steward Seminar is open to job stewards, executive councillors, and executive board members who have completed Job Steward Level 1 & 2 training or are registered complete the training in the months leading up to the seminar.

The seminar involves many different courses and discussions facilitated by MoveUP stewards and union representatives, as well as many other guest lecturers from around the labour movement.

The seminar also offers an opportunity for members to network with others within their own bargaining unit and others across the entire union membership.

2026 Agenda

Thursday, March 5, 2026

3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Registration opens in the Canada Room

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Dinner (Copper Room)

7 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Plenary (Forum Ballroom)

Friday, March 6, 2026

7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. – Breakfast (Copper Room)

9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Breakout sessions:

Combined Units – Room: Cascade
ICBC – Room: Canada
Utilities – Room: Miama

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Lunch (Copper Room)

1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – Classes

5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. – Dinner (Copper Room)

Saturday, March 7, 2026

7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. – Breakfast (Copper Room)

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Classes

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Lunch (Copper Room)

1 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Classes

6 p.m. to 8 p.m. – Dinner (Copper Room)

8 p.m. to 11 p.m. – Dance (Copper Room)

Sunday, March 8, 2026

7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. – Breakfast (Copper Room)

9 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Classes

11 a.m. – Hotel checkout

12 p.m. to 1 p.m. – Boxed lunch pick up for bus travelers (Cascades Room)

12:30 p.m. – Charter bus pick up/loading time

1 p.m. – Charter bus departure

2026 Course Descriptions and Facilitators

Job Steward – Level 3

Facilitators: Myra McIntosh and Alina Teymory
Room: Cascade

This course is for stewards with considerable experience handling grievances wanting to learn additional information on the technical skills to process Stage 1 and Stage 2 grievances.

You will practice more advanced grievance handling skills using real-life case studies and roleplaying.

Participants will discuss discipline grievances, harassment, drug and alcohol issues, and different styles of management.

The course will deal with procedures before the process of Stage 3. Please bring a copy of your collective agreement with you. Knowledge of the first stages of the grievance procedure will be assumed.

Psychologically Healthy and Safe Workplaces through the CSA Standard

Facilitators: Brian Martens and Vivian Ho
Room: Miama

Each year in Canada one in five people will experience a mental health problem or illness. Over a lifetime that number increases to one in three. The impact to our economy is a cost of more than $51 billion.

The objective of this workshop is to provide participants with the tools to create strategies that will support workers with mental health issues, individually and collectively.

A Psychological Health and Safety Management System can help an organization identify hazards that can contribute to psychological harm to the worker. It is a preventive approach that assesses your workplace practices and identifies areas for improvement. A voluntary CSA Standard (Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace) has been developed to help organizations work towards this vision as part of a process of continual improvement.

In this course participants will:

Identify organizational factors that contribute to mental illness
Learn how to apply the CSA standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace as an effective strategy to create a workplace environment supportive of mental health
Learn about other resources available to workplaces

Stewards in Action; Supporting and Engaging Members through the Bargaining Process

Facilitators: Nathan Beausoleil and Christy Slusarenko
Room: Rainbow

This course is designed to equip job stewards with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to effectively support their bargaining committees and members throughout the bargaining process, including potential job action.

Participants will develop a comprehensive understanding of the process, principles, and strategies of collective bargaining, as well as the crucial role stewards play in ensuring successful negotiations beyond the bargaining table.

Through group discussions and real-world scenarios, this course empowers stewards to be informed advocates.

Participants will learn the fundamentals of collective bargaining, strategies for building solidarity and member engagement, and how to implement effective communication plans and problem-solving techniques to support their bargaining committees.

The course also addresses tactics employers may use to erode worker rights and emphasizes the importance of member engagement throughout the entire process—from the bargaining survey to ratification and everything in between.

Organizing Member Resiliency

Facilitators: Javed Saheb and Ayesha Khan
Room: Cheam

This is a comprehensive course designed to equip union activists and stewards with the tools and strategies needed to protect their unionized workplace from external attempts to raid membership. Participants will learn about the legal framework governing union raids in BC, the tactics raiding unions commonly use, and how to counteract them effectively.

The course emphasizes building solidarity, engaging members to strengthen loyalty, and addressing workplace issues proactively to reduce vulnerability. Through interactive activities and real-world case studies, participants will gain practical skills to defend their union, preserve bargaining power, and maintain member trust.

Investigative Interviews and Effective Note-Taking

Facilitators: Georgi Bates, Ronnie Ho, and Ajay Heer
Room 1: West Forum

Facilitators: Yudon Garie, Phil Bargen, and Andrea McKenna
Room 2: East Forum

This course is for new or experienced job stewards who want to learn more about investigations and note taking. We will provide you with the knowledge and skills to effectively represent a member in an investigative interview.

How many times have you wondered if you should let a member answer a specific question that the employer asks but you’re not sure you’re allowed to stop them? What questions are relevant to the investigation versus a fishing expedition?

We will be reviewing what an investigative meeting is, what your rights are as a job steward during the meeting, and what you may be able to do to better help the member during a meeting.

We will review the dos and don’ts in an investigative meeting and how to effectively take detailed notes.

The significance of having an accurate record of the meeting will be discussed and participants will also learn about your rights as a job steward when it comes to documenting notes for a meeting.

Sustainability and Solidarity

Facilitators: Alycia Guile, Kelsea Nadeau, and Paul Voykin
Room: Upper Echo

This environmental course is for members at any level of their sustainability stewardship journey.

The course will teach the progression of environmentalism in the labour movement, including the just transition, bargaining language, and current events. It will also integrate unions with environmental principles like the three pillars of sustainability, environmental harms, and the seven generations principle.

Participants will leave feeling empowered to progress sustainability in their workplaces and communities.

OH&S / WorkSafeBC: Navigating Processes (from Prevention to Compensation)

Facilitators: Barbara Gibson and Sara Colliss
Room: Upper Echo

This is an introductory course for job stewards needing a refresher or wanting to learn about the basic principles of workplace health and safety and the WCB compensation system.

Participants will learn about the role of the joint occupational health and safety committee in the workplace, roles and responsibilities of workers and employers, and workers’ rights under Part 2 of the Workers’ Compensation Act.

This course will also include an introduction to the compensation system under Part 3 of the Workers’ Compensation Act including policies and procedures involved in filing, adjudicating and appealing claims.

De-Escalation and Frontline Organizing

Facilitators: Leilah Thiel and Kay Kearley
Room: Fraser

This course is geared towards countering threats and violence against the 2SLGBTQIA+ community through community building, protest organization & planning, de-escalation tactics, threat assessment, and security planning.

We’ll be doing work on how to identify strengths and opportunities in ourselves and to use those to learn to create stronger and safer groups.

Due to the subject material, all participants will be vetted for the safety of those attending. Please let us know if there are any accessibility needs we can assist with.

Train the Trainer

Facilitators: April Young and Dan Storms
Room: Coronet

This course guides job stewards from student to teacher helping to produce future superstar facilitators who can effectively and efficiently impart critical knowledge to job stewards.