Labour education builds solidarity and knowledge. It teaches the skills unions need to represent their members and defend their rights using proven methods that allow adults of all backgrounds to learn. 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 Winter School 2026 is here to help your union succeed.
The CLC Pacific Region Winter School is the largest labour school in Canada and we take pride in offering the very best in labour education.
Date
Sunday, January 18, 2026 to Friday, January 23, 2026
Location
Harrison Hot Springs, 100 Esplanade Ave., B.C. V0M 1K0
Fees
Single Accommodation: $2,315.00
We will not be offering Shared Accommodation for the 2026 Winter School.
To change or cancel a registration after December 17, 2025, you must contact the Pacific Region office at pacific@clcctc.ca
Cancellations received after January 1, 2026 will be subject to a $350.00 cancellation fee.
Registrants must have the approval of their union before registering.
Community Savings Credit Union Scholarship
Kim Manton Memorial Scholarship
One Movement Threads “Movement Builder” Scholarship
CUPE BC 2026 Young Workers Scholarship
Child Care:
Free child care is provided at Winter School for eligible delegates with children ages 12 months to 12 years. An eligible delegate is a single parent, a parent not accompanied by a spouse/companion, or where both parents are delegates. While the CLC will pay the actual childcare costs at the school, students will be responsible for any additional hotel charges for their child. Delegates having additional childcare costs as a result of leaving their children at home should apply for reimbursement from their own union.
There is a limited number of spots available in the childcare program. Spots will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Delegates requiring child care must pre-register and indicate child care on their registration form. Requests for child care do not constitute guaranteed spots in the childcare program. The deadline for childcare registrations is December 4, 2025. Requests received after this deadline will only be accommodated if there is room in the childcare program. Cancellations are required and must be received 14 days in advance of your attendance at Winter School. Failure to cancel booked childcare space(s) will result in a “no-show fee” of $350.00.
*Childcare arrangements may not be able to accommodate special needs, but please contact the Pacific Region office for more information.
Please be aware that should unforeseen circumstances arise due to staffing issues, there is the possibility that childcare coverage may be cancelled without advance notice. Participants wishing to utilize the childcare program should keep alternate arrangements in mind, just in case.
COVID Policies & Requirements:
We will be following all provincial health requirements at the 2026 Winter School. As provincial requirements do change on short notice, we encourage all affiliates to remain up-to-date. We will provide updates on our website regarding any changes to health requirements for the school. All participants should be prepared to comply in the event a mask and/or vaccine mandate is reintroduced in B.C. If changes to the COVID requirements make a participant unable to attend, the standard cancellation policy will apply. At this time, we are strongly encouraging all participants to be fully vaccinated, to help protect themselves and others.
Courses Offered:
A Path to Reconciliation: Standing in Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples
This course is for allies, including non-Indigenous activists, to learn the history of Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (North America). Facilitated by Indigenous labour activists, its purpose is to build meaningful, long-term relationships among Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples inside and outside of our workplaces, with the aim of acknowledging labour’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation. This course supports the decolonization of Indigenous peoples and the increase of Indigenous peoples’ representation in our workplaces and in our unions. Participants do not need any previous experience and are encouraged to bring open minds and hearts.
Benefits Bargaining
This course will help you understand how health and welfare benefits are structured and how to prepare for benefits bargaining. The course will include information on new and renewed benefit plans and how to handle a change in benefits carriers. Topics for discussion will include: costing of benefits, employers’ response to increasing costs and changes in coverages, funding methods including trusts, laws pertaining to benefits coverage, privacy issues, collective agreement language ideas, types of benefit plans to avoid and why.
It is recommended that students bring with them a copy of the benefits booklet for a benefit plan they work on, and a copy of the Collective Agreement associated with that booklet, if possible.
Facing Management Effectively
This course will look at economic, political, and social forces at play between union and management. It will examine the roles and rights of each group and the different types of union/management relationships and styles. We will look at the power, bias, and privilege dynamics between union and management and how we can communicate effectively. We will focus on problem solving – understanding issues, developing strategies, finding and presenting facts and argument, finding areas of agreement, building solutions, implementing and maintaining solutions. Participants can expect lots of participation, interaction, and role-plays along with practical skills and tools for communication, analysis, strategy, and critical thinking.
Mental Health First Aid Certification, Implementation & Beyond
The Centre will be debuting the freshly updated Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Certification course at Winter School!
This course covers the essential knowledge and tools to recognize when someone’s mental health may be declining, respond with confidence, and care for your own well-being while supporting others.
Through the course, you will:
• Increase Mental Health Awareness
• Understand stigma
• Learn how to use the ALGES framework to support
• Learn reflective self-awareness
• Review mental health supports
Following MHFA training, we’ll dive into how to effectively apply these new skills in the real world. We’ll explore how MHFA serves as both a proactive and reactive control measure, and how it fits into a comprehensive occupational health and safety (OHS) program. We will discuss practical and logistical considerations of implementing MHFA in your workplace, with dedicated discussions on OHS and labour relations.
The goal is to provide you with clear, actionable items that you can present to your safety committee, union, or leadership. You’ll leave with the knowledge and confidence to not only respond to mental health challenges but also to help create a healthier, more supportive work environment for everyone.
This course is ideal for the following audiences:
• all roles in the workplace and labour arenas (eg: worker, supervisor, safety committee member, general steward, union leadership)
• both provincially – and federally-regulated workplaces.
You’ll receive a certification of participation from the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
You may choose to pursue the additional assessment, at the end, to receive the Certified
Mental Health First Aider title.
Content Advisory: This content might bring up emotionality. Prioritize your well-being and communicate with your facilitators.
***Please note: As the Mental Health Commission of Canada charges a fee for this course, an additional $65 will be added to the registration cost.
Parliamentary Procedure & Public Speaking
This is a two-part course. Parliamentary Procedure covers how to run a meeting effectively, the duties of a chairperson and secretary, and how the rules of order can provide a democratic and fair process to get the business of the union accomplished. Public Speaking covers how to speak persuasively to various groups and how different formats are used to speak at convention, debates, and impromptu gatherings.
There is a scholarship available for this course through the CLC Pacific Region office. Please see the Frank Wall Leadership Development Scholarship information on page 18 of the Winter School brochure for details or visit our website at: www.winterschool.ca/registration.
Return to Work (Duty to Accommodate)
This course is designed to equip participants with tools and strategies for successful work reintegration outcomes. Participants will explore leading research and learn the principles of good work reintegration practices and the duty to accommodate. The course has a strong focus on the analysis and interpretation of human rights obligations and particularly the duty to accommodate. Barriers to successful work reintegration are addressed with a focus on attitudinal barriers and their elimination using the social model of disability and therapeutic return to work principles. An in-depth comparison between older methods of disability management and the newer, progressive disability prevention model is presented and participants learn about the paradigm shift from management to prevention.
Steward Training Level 1
The steward is often the main point of contact between the union, its members, management, and the larger labour movement. This course builds the skills, confidence, and knowledge a steward needs to represent their members. Participants will learn the roles and responsibilities of their position as stewards, the handling of grievances and complaints, problem-solving skills, protecting contractual provisions in the collective agreement, and current issues for stewards.
Steward Training Level 2
This course is for experienced stewards, business and assistant business managers, local officers, and stewards with considerable experience handling grievances. You will practise more advanced grievance-handling skills using real life case studies and role plays. Participants will discuss discipline grievances, harassment, drug and alcohol issues, and different styles of management. The course will deal with procedures before the process of arbitration. Please bring your collective agreement with you. Knowledge of the first stages of the grievance procedure will be assumed.
Pre-requisite: Steward Training Level 1 or equivalent course.
Young Workers in Action
This course is designed to give young union activists (aged 30 and under) the skills they need to be effective in their workplace. The course will cover public speaking, how meetings are run, how to read your contract, grievance handling, and the basic collective bargaining process.
Participants are requested to bring a copy of their collective agreement.
Register Online