Workers' Education for Skills Training Saskatchewan Federation of labour Regina, Saskatchewan

Workers' Education for Skills Training (WEST) is a worker- controlled union program that operates with the cooperation of management in a variety of workplaces. Its goal is to give workers a chance to become more confident and self-determining members of their workplaces, their unions, and their communities. In four hours of classes each week, workers help other workers improve their reading, writing, and math skills. Because WEST classes benefit everyone in the workplace, classes run half on paid work time and half on the workers' own time.

The WEST project began in November 1989, when the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) received a grant from the National Literacy Secretariat to determine whether or not Saskatchewan union members needed or wanted literacy programming. Lori Stinson-O'Gorman was hired to design the model and conduct the study. Senior staff representatives, local executives, and union members were interviewed. The response was overwhelming. Those interviewed suggested that "rather than wasting time studying the problem, the SFL should do something about it."

After examining existing programs in Saskatchewan, in Canada, and in other countries, the Ontario Federation of Labour's BEST program was adopted as a model from which to develop an SFL program. Thirteen union members from six workplaces spent two separate weeks together, training as course leaders. During 1990-91, sixty-seven workers became active participants in classes. A second course leaders' training took place and seven more union members were trained as course leaders.

The program received funding for its feasibility study, a pilot project phase, and for materials development from the National Literacy Secretariat. The Saskatchewan Department of Labour also provides limited funding for the production of the course leaders' manuals, and in kind support was received from the workplaces and unions involved.