August 18 2026
This week near Barrie, Ontario, NUPGE is holding its 26th Leadership Development School for elected leaders and senior staff.
Participants from 10 NUPGE Components and an international guest from Services, Industrial, Professional & Technical Union (SIPTU) in Ireland will be spending the week delving into what effective leadership looks like and what the labour movement needs to do to respond to the challenges we face.
Learning from experts and learning from each other
Leading the core program are Elaine Bernard and Derek Fudge. With Elaine’s extensive experience in the labour movement, and as former Executive Director of the Harvard University’s Labor and Worklife Program, and Derek’s experience as a retired National Director of Public Policy and Research at NUPGE, they emphasize what also helps make the school a success is what participants learn from each other.
Several sessions at the Leadership Development School look at the skills needed to be a successful leader; when everyone at the table has input, better decisions are reached.
Dealing with issues that have a huge impact on members
Sessions also deal with issues that are having a huge impact on our members—but don’t always get the attention they should. For example, technologies that use artificial intelligence (AI) are already being introduced in our workplaces and threaten to eliminate or undermine jobs; however, often the fact AI is being used is downplayed or hidden and the technologies are portrayed as relatively minor.
The information about what workers are up against and the chance to share experiences gives participants the framework to respond to these and future challenges.