 |
 Rudychuk Scholarship Application Form
Date: January 2010
To: Local Union Presidents and Recording Secretaries
From: Ken Neumann, National Director
Re: United Steelworkers “Leadership at Work” - Rudychuk Scholarship Placement Program
Bill Rudychuk was a Steelworker staff representative in District 3, working primarily in mining communities, Bill was always a strong supporter of Steelworker education. In the mid-1990s, Bill passed away, leaving $100,000 to the Steelworkers for education scholarships. The Canadian Directors of the Steelworkers are pleased to offer the Rudychuk Scholarship Placement Program, giving activists opportunities to apply their skills alongside servicing staff representatives in this unique mentoring program.
Who is eligible?
Members who are currently enrolled in the 3rd or final year of the Steelworkers Leadership Development Scholarship Program (LDS) or graduates of the LDS program offered at Linden Hall are eligible to apply for the scholarship placement program. At this point, the Union is offering 1 placement in each District per year (3 in total).
Placements
Placements will be in a Steelworker area or District office for one to two months depending on their area of assignment. Successful applicants, upon receiving a leave of absence from their employer, will have their wages, benefits and associated expenses covered by the scholarship.
Participants in the program will develop goals and expectations for their placement together with the District Education Co-ordinator and the “mentoring” staff representative.
While in the program, participants will gain experience and skills related to collective bargaining, organizing, preparing and presenting arbitration cases, political action, health and safety, and human rights. The District Education Co-ordinator will meet weekly with the successful participant and mentoring staff representative during the placement to review the goals and the progress of the participant’s program. Please see the attached program objectives for more information.
How do Steelworker members apply?
Interested members in their 3rd or final year of the Leadership Development Scholarship Program or graduates of the program may complete the attached application and return it to their District Office together with two letters of reference from servicing staff and leaders within their local union.
We appreciate your help forwarding the information to eligible members, and for your continued support in building a mentorship program that we hope will be a model for our leadership development efforts.
Ken Neumann
National Director for Canada
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Objectives of the Rudychuk Scholarship Placement Program
Participants in the Rudychuk Scholarship Placement Program will be given the opportunity to learn and apply skills in a broad range of work performed by the Union, including:
Collective Bargaining:
- work with a union bargaining committee
- research: prepare for negotiations
- help identify issues and set bargaining priorities
- work with the membership, including communication and mobilization
- attend mediation and negotiation sessions
Arbitration:
- observe the arbitration process
- assist in preparation and research
- interview and prepare witnesses
- draft opening statements and arguments
Organizing:
- assist in the promotion of district organizing plans
- participate in organizing campaigns under the direction of a district organizer
Political Action:
- Steelworker Vote/ Rapid Response - work with the staff, local unions and area councils to promote and develop Rapid Response or Steelworker votes
- develop campaign organizing skills
- assist in district strategic and outreach campaigns
Human Rights:
- work with servicing staff to establish or strengthen Human Rights and Women’s Committees in local unions and area councils
Health, Safety and Environment:
- work with district co-ordinators and staff representatives to provide support to amalgamated and single workplace local union Health, Safety and Environment Committees
- promote the Steelworkers Young Worker Awareness Program
Following the selection of participants, the Education Co-ordinator and the mentoring staff representative will meet with each participant for an initial interview. At this interview, a program will be set up, based on the skills and experience of the participant, using the above objectives as a guideline.
Where possible, specific activities will be assigned. For example, if the staff representative has negotiations scheduled, the participant will be assigned specific tasks around the negotiations. If a grievance has been scheduled for arbitration, the participant will be assigned to research case laws on the issue being arbitrated, etc.
At the follow up meetings during the program, goals and objectives will be reviewed from the perspective of the participant, the staff representative and the education
co-ordinator. Any problems or concerns will be addressed. If required, changes will be made to the program to accommodate the needs of the participant or the staff representative.
At the end of the program, a final meeting will take place. A final evaluation will be done using the following questions as a guide. The participant, staff representative and education co-ordinator will give input into the final evaluation.
1. Do you think the goals and objectives of the program were met?
2. If not, why not?
3. What parts of the program were the most useful? Least useful?
4. Identify how you think the program could be improved to meet the goals and objectives.
5. What do you plan to do with the skills and experiences you take away from this program…
• as an activist?
• in your workplace?
• in the local union?
• in the district?
6. How can you apply the skills and experiences to build the union…
• in your workplace?
• in the local union?
• in the district?
|
|
SCHOLARSHIPS
