CLC Ontario Summer School 2025
When Workers Stand Together, We Win; whether it’s improving workplaces, fighting for political gains, or advocating for social justice – unions and our members make all the difference. This year we are thrilled to be bringing back the highly sought after Canadian Labour Congress Ontario Summer School and Women’s School!
Labour Education builds solidarity and knowledge, and it creates meaningful bonds that last a lifetime. In these exciting weeks of learning, union members will learn valuable skills in order to continue the fights of today’s workplaces, allowing adults of all backgrounds to learn to defend their rights using proven methods. If your union wants to train the next generation of local activists or expand the skills that today’s leaders and activists already have, the CLC Ontario Summer and Women’s Schools 2025 is here to help our labour movement succeed.
Date
Sunday, July 20 to Friday, July 25, 2025
The CLC Ontario Summer School will be held at The Hamilton Convention Centre.
Registration Fees
Single accommodation: $1950 per student/week
Single accommodation with spouse/partner: $2,350/week
Course and meals only: $1000/week
Children (who require additional hotel rooms): $400
Prevention Link Course: $1,950 + $290 additional cost = $2,240
*Standard Registration Includes: accommodation at The Sheraton Hotel, meals, coffee breaks, and class materials
* *Please note, registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Due to limited course availability and in consideration of all students, please do not hold spots. Applicants must have the approval of their union before enrolling. Payment for all fees must be made at the time of registration and can be made via credit card or cheque. Cheques should be made payable to: “Canadian Labour Congress – Ontario School” and mailed to: Ontario Summer School Registrar, 895 Don Mills Road, Building Two, Suite 610, Toronto M3C 1W3
To change a registration after it has been submitted please contact the Ontario Region office at ontario@clcctc.ca , cancellations with a full refund will not provided after June 20, 2025.
- Accommodations will be booked by the CLC, if you have any questions contact the office at ontario@clcctc.ca
- Check-in will take place on Sunday, July 20 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
- Hotel rooms at The Sheraton Hamilton will be booked on the students behalf once they have registered.
- We will be following all provincial health requirements at the CLC School. As provincial requirements do change on short notice, we encourage all affiliates to remain up-to-date.
Courses Offered
TRANSFORMING CONFLICT INTO UNION SOLIDARITY
approaches conflict in a novel way. It recognizes that conflict isn’t always negative but that it is the outcome of the conflict that is negative or positive. The course teaches participants how to listen to people involved in a conflict, get to the root causes of a conflict, and how to coach people involved in a conflict to identify shared interests. Participants learn how to use those shared interests to help people involved in a conflict find solutions and turn the conflict and shared interests into union activism.
Who this course is for: Union representatives, leaders, educators, organizers and other active union members.
CREATING A JUST ECONOMY FOR WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
provides an overview of important economic issues like inflation to equip union members with the knowledge they need to refute incorrect (yet all-too-common) claims and begin thinking toward a more just economy.
Who is this course for: All union members.
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AND PUBLIC SPEAKING
is a two-part course. Parliamentary Procedure covers how to run a meeting effectively, the duties of a chairperson and secretary, and how rules of order can provide a democratic and fair process to accomplish union business. Public Speaking covers how to speak persuasively to various groups and how different formats are used to speak at convention, debates, and impromptu gatherings.
Who this course is for: All union members.
DIGITAL STRATEGIES FOR MEMBER ENGAGEMENT
Drawing from successful political advocacy campaigns as well as your
own member engagement examples, this course provides a
comprehensive framework for building and executing effective digital
strategies. Through collaborative learning and hands-on practice,
you’ll spend five days mastering the basics of digital engagement, as
well as tips and tricks for seamlessly integrating digital into your union
work, including:
• Understanding what digital organizing is and the role it can play
throughout your entire organization;
• Learning about storytelling, digital tactics, managing data, how
to leverage email & social media, and more;
• Getting started with building an offline and online strategy that
work together and how to then measure the results;
• Exploring practical digital tools to support your engagement
strategies and make your work more efficient.
Who this course is for: All union members who wish to use a
variety of communication tools.
MEMBER ENGAGEMENT – MEMBER ACTION
is designed for experienced shop stewards, local union leaders and union staff who want to transform how members engage with their union and how their union engages with their members. This course trains participants on the three-step approach to effective member engagement (Go, Listen, Build) and connects it to organizing approaches for building an active membership. Participants will leave with new skills and ideas for building and measuring a member engagement strategy.
Who this course is for: Experienced shop stewards, local union leaders and union staff.
VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT AT WORK: TRAINING FOR UNION REPRESENTATIVES
This training will introduce shop stewards, health and safety representatives, and other union representatives to crucial aspects of violence and harassment in the world of work. The course will closely examine what constitutes violence and harassment and why and how workers experience it.Participants will learn how unions and employers can prevent workplace violence and harassment (WVH) by building a consent culture and using occupational safety and health mechanisms. Participants will also practice applying a trauma-informed and survivor-centred approach to support those affected.Union representatives will also learn about domestic violence at work, including how to recognize and respond to the warning signs and risk factors and how to connect members to support and services in the community.
Who this course is for: Experienced union representatives who work with members in workplaces.
PREVENTION LINK – ACTIVIST BUNDLE
This bundle of workshops will introduce participants to the unique challenges of electronic evidence, the Workers’ Compensation system, noteworthy case law, and Human Rights legislation. The tools develop strategies to assist workers with disabilities, individually and collectively, and return them to long term healthy and productive employment. With a focus on the protected ground of disability and the social area of employment, this training will advance a participant’s understanding of human rights legislation and the Duty to Accommodate.
Prevention Link Certificates will be issued for:
•Principles of Accommodation Law
•Workers’ Compensation 101
•Electronic Evidence
•Return to Work 101
Who is this course for: All workers are welcome! Workplace leadership encouraged! No pre-requisites required.
Register Online