Group sums up the experience

GCIU Pres. George Tedeschi asked trainees to evaluate the instructor training program. Below is their group statement. This course met the objectives and fulfilled our own personal expectations. The techniques we learned can be adapted with any learning module. It was food for the brain. Through our participation, we now have nine more qualified GCIU instructors. Using these trained instructors, the GCIU can now deliver trade union education. A crucial element to any internal organizing initiative is to have a core of instructors who are willing and able to deliver labor and social education. This is the start, which the GCIU shall embark on a program of members teaching members. Thank you from the class of January 2002! "If we don't tell our stories, they will take them from us...." — Winnipeg general strike of 1919

Nine local leaders and International staff members learned to run union education programs that cover nearly any type of course material during the GCIU's first instructor training program.

Held at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, Md., the week-long course was led by Dan Huziak of Toronto 100M. Huziak said the course was modeled on programs developed by the Canadian Labour Congress and used by GCIU locals 100M and 500M in Toronto.

Participants learned the basic principles of adult learning aids, including how to create opportunities for class participation and group exercises. Huziak stressed the importance in the adult learning experience "to let participants have their say when they want to say it," which means the instructor must be able to listen and move the class forward from participants' comments.

Participants started out with individual three-minute extemporaneous presentations on a given topic. That was followed up with 15-minute individual presentations on any topic of the participant's choosing. Then teams of two did three-hour practice teaching sessions to their classmates.

Classmates critiqued each other to aid learning and videotapes of practice sessions helped participants to critique their own performances.

Participants came up with some novel ideas for presentations. Gene Binda of Boston 3N asked classmates to list ways politics affect every day life, including public education, transportation, home ownership, consumer safety, job safety and health, and laws setting hours, wages, and other working conditions. His presentation also covered strategies to get union members involved in politics at the national and local levels. Ideas included participation in AFL-CIO and CLC councils and programs, such as the AFL-CIO's "labor in the pulpits" and "labor to labor" programs.

Lauren Baker of Milwaukee-Madison 577M demonstrates how to retrieve e-mail from a remote location to James Bodie, Toronto 500M, while GCIU Rep. Colin Lang observes.

Lauren Baker of Milwaukee-Madison 577M took the class to the Meany Center's computer lab to demonstrate how to develop a presentation using Microsoft's PowerPoint and how to access e-mail from a remote computer.

James Bodie of Toronto 500M presented a session on Scotland's Robert Burns "supper," celebrated with traditional food, drink, songs and poetry. Burns, who lived from 1759 to 1796, has been adopted as Scotland's national poet.

The presentation included information on Burns use of poetry to address the political and social issues of his time, including the American colonies' rebellion against England and Scotland's attempt to free itself of its own English rulers. Bodie also drew in comparisons of how today's labor unions and political movements use song and poetry to advance causes.

Blair Reinhardt of Chattanooga 197M made a presentation on the importance of organizing every day for locals in U.S. right-to-work states. The best way to prevent right-to-work laws from gaining momentum, he said, is "to act like they're there already" by "organizing and empowering workers constantly."

Participants in the GCIU instructor training program learned how to run adult learning workshops. Back row from left are: Blair Reinhardt, Chattanooga 197M; GCIU Rep. Colin Lang; James Bodie, Toronto 500M; Ed Rosario, San Francisco 4N; Lauren Baker, Milwaukee-Madison 577M; and Gene Binda, Boston 3N. Kneeling from left are Joel Blazer, York 329C; GCIU Rep. Joseph O'Connor; course instructor Dan Huziak, Toronto 100M; and GCIU Organizer Linda Goad. The program was held at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Spring, Md.