2nd CEP National Young Workers Conference
Algonquin College, Ottawa, Ontario
June 5-7, 2009 (adjournment June 7 at noon)

Greetings:

"Raise a Little Hell!" is the theme of the second CEP National Young Workers Conference to be held from June 5 to 7, 2009 in Ottawa. The conference is open to all workers though the workshops have been designed for young workers.

The Conference will be held at the Algonquin College Residence & Conference Centre at 1385 Woodroffe Avenue in Ottawa. Cost for suite per night is only $79.95 for a single room and includes a continental breakfast. For those wishing to share a suite the cost will be $40 a night and also includes a continental breakfast. Each suite contains two spacious bedrooms that lock with a shared bathroom and also includes a kitchenette with microwave and refrigerator, air conditioning, double size bed, cable television, telephone and internet services. The College also has lounges, games, movie room, outdoor patio with barbeque, on-site laundry, kitchen facilities, full housekeeping and linen service.

For reservations, please call the College at 613-727-7698, ext. 0 or at the toll-free reservations line at 1-877-225-8664. Please state that you are making an individual reservation under the group number (#91022). You will be led through the reservation process and will be given an individual confirmation number. You must book your room no later than May 4 2009.

All workshops, plenary sessions and other activities will all be held at the Algonquin College. Parking is free to all overnight participants and also free on evenings and weekends. The registration fee is $125 for young workers and $175 for those over the age of 30. Also, locals who register three or more participants will receive a $25 discount per person. The fee includes all materials, coffee breaks and Friday night activities (including dinner). Click here to download the registration form (PDF).

The full agenda, including special presentations, is in the works and will be forwarded later.

Workshop 1

Raise a Little Hell Against Harassment - This workshop addresses problems of harassment and ways of effectively dealing with harassment. You learn about the different forms of harassment, what to do if you or a colleague is being harassed, and appropriate ways of responding as a union representative, a witness, a victim, and union brother or sister.

Workshop 2

Raise a Little Hell at the Bargaining Table - In this workshop we will talk about when and how young workers can get involved in the bargaining process. We will begin by looking at some of the gains the union has made on issues which particularly affect young workers and where the gaps are that still need to be addressed. We will develop and practice strategies for:

• influencing bargaining priorities at a new proposals meeting
• getting a young worker onto the bargaining committee
• talking to the employer at the bargaining table

Workshop 3

Raise a Little Hell with Fight-back Campaigns - CEP has engaged in many special campaigns to save workplaces threatened with downsizing or closure (such as paper mills), fight for specific rights (e.g. Bell pay equity), develop awareness of social issues (e.g. Save Medicare campaign), or take on economic and political causes (e.g. Hydro One, Softwood lumber). The Local Fightback Campaigns workshop deals with how to pursue these campaigns at the local level.

Workshop 4

Raise a Little Hell on the Environment and the Economy - The environment is a hot issue right now. In this workshop you will have a chance to learn what all the buzzwords mean. Together we will map out some of the environmental issues we face at home, in the workplace and in the community. We will explore the link between these issues and the way our economy is structured. You will have a chance to talk about a few specific CEP workplaces where impact on the environment is an issue. We will then look at some of the environmental policies and actions the CEP has taken and come up with some creative actions we can take back home.