Skilled Leadership and Education Builds Strong Locals

August 1, 2024

Dusty Kelly  -  AFM International Executive Board and Executive Director Local 149 (Toronto, ON)

So, you find yourself elected to your local’s executive board, either as a titled officer or a member-at-large. Or perhaps you were elected to a negotiation committee, or your local’s diversity committee. Maybe you have been appointed as a steward or health and safety representative in your workplace. All these are signs you are recognized for your leadership qualities, you care about your fellow union members, and you want your local to be successful and thrive.

As a local officer you have an obligation and duty to provide your members with competent representation. But being an effective union leader is easier said than done. Let’s face it, music schools may teach musical leadership, but when it comes to training in union leadership, negotiation skills, running a local, and health and safety, you will need to look elsewhere. With the limited financial resources of many locals, access to union training is not readily available. Putting up your hand or accepting a leadership role is even harder if you feel you don’t have the skills to deliver!

The AFM Education Committee recognizes the need for ongoing skills training for all AFM officers and offers a two-day officer training program, which runs just prior to this year’s regional conferences. Given set budgets, the training sessions are more often limited to titled officers, typically those who would also be attending the conference. Although we encourage as much participation as possible, we also need to identify alternative opportunities for access to union training and education.

Both here in Canada and in the United States, most provinces and states have local labour councils and provincial/or statewide federations of labour. All AFM locals are required to be members. There are many advantages to labour council membership, not just for the solidarity but access to their extensive networks and resources dedicated to building a better life for workers and their families.

Those resources include union skills training programs on a variety of subjects: leadership, negotiations, diversity, communications, steward training, psychologically safe workplaces, and more. They are taught by labour lawyers, advocates, and other subject matter professionals. Courses are locally based, generally low cost, and if delivered through online technologies, more accessible than ever. Many unions and councils even offer scholarships or bursaries that are open to all union members.

A quick Google search of your local area labour council or labour federation will pull up a list and contacts. Here are some links to resources in Canada: canadianlabour.ca/who-we-are/labour-education and in the US: aflcio.org/what-unions-do/resources-union-activists/digital-trainings.

There are also many weeklong programs both in the United States and Canada; the Summer Institute for Union Women is in many regions in the US and the Canadian Labour Congress runs a Winter School in Canada.

The AFM Education Committee is committed to delivering the skills you need to do your job effectively, while building succession planning. We will be rolling out online modules to help address geographic and financial barriers. And, we are looking to expand beyond the present preconference sessions for in-person training.

Developing skilled leadership is key to building strong locals, and to the future success of the AFM.

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