Information

EPMU Education

Worker education is a vital part of effective unionism because the first step to enforcing your rights at work is to know what they are. The EPMU's rducation department consists of four educators and one coordinator and runs regular training sessions for delegates around the country as well as regular delegate forums. Because the more our members know the stronger we are as a union.

Delegate education

There are four levels of delegate education:

• Delegate Foundation
• Getting Upskilled for the Job
• Getting Organised
• Getting Organised for Bargaining.

Each of these two day long education sessions are designed to provide our delegates with the skills they need to effectively represent their unionised co-workers on the job and at the negotiating table.

The EPMU's education team also run twenty-three delegate forums every six months. These are a crucial part of the EPMU's democratic structure in that they are forums for delegates to have a say in the governance of the union and, every second year, to put remits up to the EPMU's biennial conference.

Specialty courses

The EPMU's education department also provides specialty education such as the Building Financial Literacy course, which is focused on providing delegates and EPMU officials with an understanding of accounting and financial practices for the purposes of negotiation.

The education department is also responsible for the development and roll out of industry-specific education such as the union's timber industry initiative, Unity.

Delegate resources

The education department is also responsible for union-related resources such as delegate handbooks, educational DVDs, KiwiSaver and Iris information and youth union resources.