2024 Prairie School for Union Women

The Prairie School for Union Women offers trade union women an intensive four days of learning and sharing in a supportive environment. The goals of the school are to develop women’s personal and leadership skills and to build solidarity among women workers.

Enrollment for the school is limited and courses are filled on a first registered, first preference basis. Your registration fee must accompany your registration form in order to qualify. Register early as seats are limited in each course! We will do our best to register you in your preferred course.

Courses are scheduled over four days, and if seats are not available in your first course preference, you will be registered in your second or third course preference as selected on your registration form.

Guiding the Way: Reconciliation for Labour Leaders

We have seen the idea of Reconciliation evolve and grow in our communities, so how do
we support our members in our collective journey of Reconciliation, as union leaders? What skills, tools, and voices do we have in our leadership toolkit and how can we amplify Reconciliation in labour?

Resisting the Right
If there is one aspect of politics that everyone can agree upon, it is that discussions are
increasingly polarized. Conversations seem difficult to navigate, trust is diminished, and messaging is stark. How do we engage and advocate for good human decisions? How do we get involved?

Women Thinking of Retirement? We Need a Game Plan!
As union women thinking about the future, what must we consider as we think about aging and retirement? No matter your age, it is never too early to start considering life after work! This course will deal with all the major issues union women face when planning for retirement.

Labour Community Advocate
The Labour Community Advocate course helps workers to find effective solutions and community support for issues outside the scope of their collective agreements. Labour Community Advocates are often the first contact for coworkers with personal or family issues and are a valuable resource within any union.

Occupational Health and Safety for Women
Healthy and safe workplaces are a basic right. We will discuss health and safety issues important to women and work on solutions and prevention strategies to reduce stress and eliminate hazards.

Well Behaved Women (Seldom Make History)
As women have struggled for equality through history, they have faced all kinds of barriers – personal, political, and economic. In this course we will learn how the principles of feminism and trade unionism can guide us in transforming our workplaces and unions

Building Strong, Inclusive Locals
As employers and movements continue to divide us, often using racism, sexism, trans/homophobia, and ableism, we will focus on the roles we can play as leaders and activists to counter these tactics and work stronger together to advance equity, diversity and inclusivity.

Union/Labour Basics
We cannot undo history, but we can control our future by finding our place in the union. Learn how women’s issues can be advanced from the grassroots to the bargaining table. Learn practical skills for becoming a union activist and running for union office.

Detailed course descriptions are available in the attached PSUW brochure.

START: Sunday, June 9 with registration opening at 3 pm CST/MDT
END: Thursday, June 13 at 12 pm CST/MDT

Meals, Accommodation & Transportation

Registration fees include supper on Sunday, breakfast, lunch and supper on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and breakfast on Thursday. Any other meals are the participant’s responsibility.

Fees also include accommodation at the University of Regina and you will be situated in a two bedroom or four bedroom suite on campus. Registrants do have the option to request suite mates. However, suite assignments are based on receipt of paid registrations and the SFL reserves the right to assign accommodation.

The cost of parking on campus is included in the registration fee and transportation costs are the responsibility of the participant. Do not book flights out of Regina earlier than 2:00 pm if possible.

Childcare

Childcare may be provided onsite to children 12 years of age and under by qualified childcare workers. This is for parents/guardians who have no alternate care available. Space is limited and only pre-registered children will be accepted. The deadline to request childcare is May 3, 2024, no exceptions. All parents/guardians requesting childcare will be contacted after May 3, 2024.

The cost for participants with children in childcare is $500 for the first child and $200 for each additional child. Fees include meals, snacks and activities where costs are incurred.

Scholarship

The Prairie School for Union Women has established a Scholarship Fund for the purpose of encouraging women from equity-seeking groups and from non-unionized work settings to attend the school as participants.

Women from the following equity-seeking groups are eligible to apply: Indigenous women, women with disabilities, visible minority women, lesbian/bisexual/transgender women and youth (29 and under). In addition, unemployed women and women working in non-unionized settings are eligible to apply.

The scholarship application form is found at the bottom of this page. The deadline to apply is May 3. Contact the SFL office at 306.525.0197 or email d.duff@sfl.sk.ca for more information.