A revived NextGen Committee at USW Local 8782 welcomed hundreds of members and their families to a barbecue event served with a side of union education.
Michael Sejevick, a slitter at Stelco (someone whose job it is to cut slabs of steel), is a health and safety activist, Assistant Chief Steward and serves on the Grievance Committee. Along with co-worker Alex Merwin, Sejevick got the idea for a union event while attending the 2024 NextGen Conference in Pittsburgh.
First things first, Merwin and Sejevick brought new members onto the local’s NextGen Committee to help brainstorm the event idea. They approached the local union for funds, supplemented by a project application through the Family and Community Education Fund (FCEF).
The idea was to host an event at the union hall in Nanticoke, in southwestern Ontario, that would “bridge the gap between the union and the shop floor” and bring back a sense of union solidarity among the workers by offering a family-friendly event outside of work that included food, prizes, raffles that raised money for the McMaster Children’s Hospital, all while learning more about the union.
Sejevick says applying to the FCEF was “super easy.” He had approached Fund Co-ordinator Gabriele Simmons with the barbecue idea, so she knew the application was pending. Once submitted online, the project was approved in about a week.
The committee sourced prizes and gift cards from area businesses and recruited 15 about people to volunteer at the event.
The event’s educational aspects included a quiz about health and safety and the union contract with materials available to help quiz-takers answer the questions. Every completed quiz was entered into a prize draw.
For kids, the group put together a word search and a colouring activity, again with a prize draw from submitted entries.
Four members of the USW Executive were on-hand wearing “Ask me” T-shrits, talking to members about what unions do, grievances, the anti-harassment policy, and health and safety.
“It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” said Sejevick.
Sejevick’s tip for anyone interested in hosting a similar event is to allow lots of time for planning and to be open to last-minute ideas. A local newspaper reported on the barbecue and the group hopes to hold a similar event next year to keep the momentum going for combining union education and fun times.
Learn more about the USW Family and Community Education Fund (FCEF).
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