Learning in Solidarity:
A Union Approach to Worker-Centred Literacy

TAMARA LEVINE

UNIONS IN CANADA have a long track record of being at the forefront of creating learning opportunities for workers and families. Despite employer resistance and provincial cutbacks, Canadian unions are developing a holistic and democratic vision and practice of worker-centred literacy that is emerging as a significant presence within the adult education field.

For unions, literacy is an opportunity to reach out to some of those largely “inactive” members who want to improve their skills, who may have had to leave school early or for whom school didn’t work out the first time. Literacy training may also be of interest to workers whose skills have become rusty because they haven’t had to use them for many years, or for immigrant workers who need to improve their skills in English or French. Literacy also provides unions with the awareness and a set of tools to help look at how we can work to make our programs and communications more accessible and inclusive for all our members. Ultimately, it is about democracy, about sharing the skills for participation and about working towards making sure the face of the union reflects the members it represents.

Learning and Change: A Classroom Example

Here is an example of what can happen in a real-life classroom when literacy is understood in its fullest sense — as the exercise of critical reflection and action, both individual and collective.

A group of night cleaners were participating in a literacy class that their union had negotiated with their employer. One night Michel, a participant, came in with his hand in a bandage. He had cut himself on a rusty metal garbage can. His co-workers all knew about the problem with the garbage cans, as others had been hurt in recent months. Although they had raised the issue with the supervisor, nothing had been done.

Giselle, the instructor and a co-worker who had been trained by her union, understood the situation well. After all, she was a cleaner on the same shift. She seized the opportunity to help the group find a way to deal with the situation, starting in their workplace literacy program. She asked Michel and the other participants about their experiences with workplace injuries, writing key words and phrases on the board. They talked about what they could do about the problem of rusty garbage cans.

The clauses in their collective agreement dealing with safety on the job became a reading exercise as the group worked together to understand the difficult terms and rewrite the clauses in clear language. Together, they decided to write a letter to the health and safety committee to raise the issue. They discussed what should be included in the letter, and reviewed several drafts. They would refer to Michel’s accident, indicate how long the problem had been going on and suggest a solution: the replacement of the garbage cans. Ultimately, the letter was sent on behalf of the class and the rusty cans were replaced with plastic ones.