11. Know the range of options for securing this program.

• Collective agreement language on basic skills/literacy, or on training or education. Some contract language can be found at the back of this handbook. Bargaining basic skills into your collective agreement is more permanent and sets a precedent for future contracts.
• A letter of understanding in the collective agreement. This can be used when an employer is not prepared to agree to a permanent program.
• A written commitment from the employer outside of the collective agreement. This is the loosest form of employer commitment, but is useful if you are bargaining outside of collective agreement time lines.

12. How will the program be administered?

• a joint committee
• a union committee
• do you need a co-ordinator to administer the program even for a few hours a week?

13. Elements of a joint committee

If part of your proposal to your union and the employer includes the formation of a joint committee on training and/or education, it is important that you determine from the start:

• The mandate, structure, responsibilities and role of a joint committee:
  • The union must have an equal say on the committee. This is called co-determination.
  • The committee should have a mandate to examine all aspects of training in the workplace which concern the union.
  • The committee should have control over the training budget.
  • The committee should have to publish a regular report on what is being done on training.
• Strategies for positioning the union on the joint committee:
  • The union has to take the initiative on the committee. Sitting back and waiting for the employer to act is not a good strategy.
  • The union should bring positive training experiences from other workplaces to the attention of the committee.
  • The union can demand that part of the training budget be used for union-directed programs in much the same way as the employer will use some of the budget for management programs.
• Training and on going support for union reps on joint committees, preferably during working hours. The union should:
  • Train its reps on the committee.
  • Hold regular union-only meetings for its reps.
  • Hold a regular annual strategy session to decide on overall policy and direction.
  • Have regular times for the union reps to meet with the whole local on training.
• Maximizing accountability between union reps on joint committees and the local. The unions representatives on the joint committee should:
  • Be elected to the committee for a specified term so they enjoy membership confidence.
  • Be required to prepare a plan of what they are going to do and present it to the executive and the local for input.
  • Take difficult issues back to the executive and the local for discussion.
  • Make regular reports at meetings and in the news letter to the whole membership.