2018, I took on the chair role of the Political Action Committee in my local and started to incorporate the issue of climate change into what we did. Our efforts to organize a workshop about
climate change for educators were delayed by COVID, but we offered a half-day virtual workshop in 2021 and a full-day in-person workshop in 2022. Tese were both well- attended and well-received, with energy and excitement about climate change education and environmental activism. With extreme weather (heat domes, wild-
fires, floods, droughts) observed throughout the world, and continued calls to action on the climate, creating a committee that fo- cused on the climate crisis felt important. I approached the executive of our local
to see if we could organize an ad hoc climate justice and sustainability committee and our request was supported by ETFO Halton lo- cal leadership. At our workshops and events, we sent around a sign-up sheet or provided an electronic form that asked people to join our committee. We also developed a group of supporters who are interested in the work and might come out to events, but who don’t want to formally join the committee (yet). At Halton’s most recent annual general
meeting, our ad hoc group became a perma- nent standing committee. Currently, we have 12 active members. We continue to organize events and are optimistic about the impact we can make in the fight against climate change. We have developed resolutions for ETFO’s Annual Meeting (one of our resolu- tions passed in 2024) and hope to develop a network of unionists throughout Ontario who are empowered to organize around en- vironmental issues.
ORGANIZING CREATES SOLIDARITY
Organizing a new committee can be compli- cated and a bit nerve-wracking, but the pay- off is worth it. Te energy created by working collectively can be infectious. Te more peo- ple see and hear about the important issues that committees work on, the more likely it is they will get involved, and things just grow from there.
TIPS FOR FORMING A COMMITTEE IN YOUR LOCAL:
1. Relationships: Connect with people who have similar interests or needs. Starting a committee with one or two other people is very helpful for sharing ideas and strategies.
2. Leadership: Include your local leadership and executive in your ideas. Asking your ex- ecutive to create an ad hoc committee for a year is a good first step.
3. Organize: Ask people to become involved in your committee: send a sign-up sheet around at a workshop, share your thoughts with others at union meetings, chat with col- leagues at work. 4. Resources: Tink creatively about oppor- tunities to liaise with community groups, but also use resources and supports already in place. ETFO’s easily accessible Presenters on the Road workshops or meet-and-greets at the local office can be very simple events with big impact. 5. Take risks: Sometimes unexpected barri- ers arise, and mistakes are made. Tat’s OK – paying attention to what occurs and adjust- ing accordingly is important. 6. Have fun: Creating a new committee is both exciting and empowering. Envision the committee you want to see and then take the steps to develop it. n Jen Reid is a member of the Halton Teacher Local.
“ FOR KIM, ETFO HAS BEEN A CRITICAL PLACE TO DEVELOP HER LEADERSHIP AND ADVOCACY SKILLS..”
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