Workshops

Solidarity Includes Everyone (Transgender Rights level 1)

This is an awareness-raising workshop about the challenges facing transgender and gender non-conforming people. How can we end discrimination and support our trans community members? This introductory workshop includes an overview of existing legal protections, common barriers trans people face despite the law and what we as activists can do to make sure our workplaces and our unions are as inclusive as possible to two-spirit, transgender, non-binary folks.

The workshop covers:

  • The law on transgender inclusion under the human rights legislation, the Charter, and Privacy legislation
  • The human rights obligations of employers, advocates and service providers;
  • Barriers trans people face in the workplace and in the world;
  • Best practices for inclusive unions, workplaces, and services.

To do list: http://ourtimes.ca/Newsletter/ourtimes-summer18_25-27.pdf

Transgender Rights level 2

This course is designed for participants who are already oriented to the basics of transgender inclusion and want a deeper dive.

The workshop covers:

  • Basic legal protection;
  • Recent advances is the law and new cases;
  • Emerging issues;
  • Features of contemporary transphobia;
  • Electronic file management systems and privacy obligations;
  • Access to justice issues for two spirit, non binary and trans litigants;
  • Healthcare rights for trans youth

This workshop can be extended to workshop a problem your group is facing or to develop a policy. A specific component for privacy officers and for bargaining gender affirming care benefits is available.

Recent Advances in Transgender litigation

The academic presentation surveys recent case law involving transgender people and addresses practical issues that arise for two spirit, trans, and non-binary justice system participants.

Workplace Law for Union Activists

This introductory course give unions activists and staff and overview of how legislation is developed in British Columbia and in Parliament. We discuss the division of powers between the federal and provincial governments; guidance on choosing the appropriate regulatory regime for a problem; and then an overview of the major laws that govern employment, including: the Charter, The Criminal Code, Human Rights legislation, Health and Safety law, The Employment Standards Act, and the Labour Relations Code. The dispute resolution mechanism for each will be explained.

Basic Human Rights for Union Activists

This introductory course give unions activists and staff and overview of

  • Differences between federal and provincial human rights protection;
  • Collective Agreement solutions to human rights problems;
  • Prohibited grounds;
  • Protected areas;
  • Gaps in existing legal protection;
  • Exceptions and special programs;
  • The different roles of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the BC Human Rights Tribunal, the Office of the BC Human Rights Commissioner, the CLAS Human Rights Legal Clinic, and the Ombudsperson’s Office;
  • Anatomy of a human rights claim;
  • Available Remedies;
  • Practice writing and filing a claim;
  • How to grieve human rights issues for union stewards and labour relations staff, including remedies.

Labour Law for Organizers

This workshop is a tour through the legal framework that supports (and sometimes hinders) our work as union activists. It includes information about:

  • Constitutional protection for union activities;
  • Provincially and federally regulated enterprises; 
  • The Employment Standards Act; 
  • the Labour Relations Code;
  • Which human rights and labour legislation to use and why;
  • The role of the Labour Relations Board, and; 
  • How our collective agreement, grievances, and arbitration work;
  • Recent changes to the Labour Code;
  • Guidance on card check organizing.

Social Justice Intervention Training (Dismantling white supremacy)

This full-day workshop trains participants to do basic social justice interventions in the workplace to combat discrimination, bullying and harassment, outside the grievance process. It helps participants think about our role in dismantling colonial white supremacy, confronting racism, and building a more inclusive world.

It begins with an overview of social justice principles like diversity, inclusion, equity, and intersectionality; and works towards practical skills to combat oppression, by centring marginalized voices, and leveraging privilege for good.

The first part of the workshop invites us to ask questions: What is whiteness? What does white culture look like and why is it dominant in the academy and the workplace? What is racism? What is white supremacy? How are white people complicit in systems that oppress Black, Indigenous, mixed race and other people of colour? How does unconscious bias and institutional culture lead to outcomes that are unjust? What can and should we do about it?

In the second part, participants practice intervening with direct collective action and individual works of Solidarity to resuscitate toxic workplace cultures and make the world safer for everyone.

Optional topics include hate speech, freedom of expression, human rights protections in law, and positive action outside the justice system.

Advanced reading https://adriennesmithlaw.com/how-social-justice-works/

Media Training for Organization

This basic introduction preparea prticipants to:

  • craft a plain-language message;
  • draft a basic media release;
  • handle media requests;
  • deliver a statement to the press for print, radio, and television.

Component about social media and lawyers’ professional responsibility and the media are available.

Advocacy training for Activists

Participants will learn how to

  • identify important issues;
  • identify the organization or person responsible for the issue;
  • develop an ask;
  • craft effective messages to take to management or to elected officials;
  • draft a breifing note and backgrounder;
  • deliver a lobbying presentation;
  • support advocacy efforts with community action.
  • Longer sessions include information about the Lobbyist Registry.

Know Your Rights for Drag Performers and Library Workers

This workshop outlines the laws that protect drag performers, story time hosts, tlibrary staff and community members who support them. The workshop covers crimes against our community in the Criminal Code and Human Rights legislation like hassment and doxxing, difficulties accessing protection, how to respond to “demand letters” from anti-2SLGBT campaigners, and how to get help if your workplace is subject to a protest.

Free Speech, Hate Speech, Academic Freedom and Human Rights: Transgender Discrimination case study

Much of the current debate on transgender rights posits freedom of expression in section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms as though it were an unlimited (or at least something close to the speech rights that exist in the United States), or limited only by criminal sanctions against extreme hateful comment. This approach ignores a number of factors, such as the human rights regime, civil liability, professional regulation, and workplace rules. Participants will learn about key myths that anchor contemporary transphobia- including a misstatement about the scope of Charter expression rights. Participants will learn how expressive freedom is actually regulated in Canada, when the Charter applies, and how to differentiate legitimate threats to free expression from bogus claims acting as a cover for hate or for the spread of disinformation.

Basic Training for Privacy Officers

This workshop explains the legal obligations of organizations when they collect, use, and disclose personal information. It provides a general overview of the privacy and access regimes in place in British Columbia and for federally regulated enterprises, in both the private and public sector, but focuses on the role of privacy officers in private sector organizations, and the obligations of organizations to secure personal information. The course is oriented towards social justice not-for profits, and includes special topics on enhanced privacy needs of survivors, 2SLGBT+ folks, and youth. Optional content on how to draft effective provincial Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and federal Access to Information Act (ATIA) requests is available.

Anti-Oppressive Meeting Procedure

This workshop gives participants the tools they need to run a formal union or business meeting using Roberts Rules of Order, Bourinot’s Rules, or your organization’s custom rules. It includes basics like moving, amending, and passing a motion; points of order, information and privilege; and also covers critical documents necessary to make the meeting lawful and orderly, including notice of the meeting and of motions, the agenda, reports, and minutes. The workshop considers in person and zoom meetings. Participants will be learn to apply the rules in an anti-oppressive and accessible way that meets the social justice goals of your group.

ID Clinic Bootcamp

This quick workshop trains advocates to help trans people, and people reclaiming indigenous names, with provincial and federal name and gender marker change applications. This course includes how to find and use appropriate forms, common problems, procedural barriers, and troubleshooting tactics to assist youth, and applicants without prescribed documents. The course is oriented to lawyers, notaries, law students, and advocates; and includes information about becoming a Commissioner for Affidavits in British Columbia so your organization can complete the oath required for name changes. Participants will learn the process to assist clients born in British Columbia, those born in other Canadian provinces, and those board outside of Canada, and living in BC. This workshop is updated with information about the provincial name change ban for people convicted of certain crimes in BC.

Individuals interested in navigating this process themselves can read my blog post here, and TransCareBC’s updating ID guide here. The trans legal clinic can pay fees for Two Spirit, Trans and Non-Binary applicants. Email [email protected] for an appointment.

We can also

  • Develop custom course content for your group;
  • Teach your executive board about their legal obligations;
  • Support you to review and revise your constitution, bylaws, policies, and procedures;
  • Act as the external chairperson, parliamentarian, or ombudsperson for your meeting or convention.
  • Guest lectures for academic courses warmly considered.

Standard conditions:

  • Workshops are billed by the hour. Convention chairing, parliamentarian and equity ombudsperson services are billed by the day. Contact us for rates. Sliding scale available for community organizations.
  • Workshops are delivered in person or by Zoom. National travel considered. American destinations declined.
  • There is a 100% surcharge for video recording sessions for safety reasons. Limited-access recording for a few participants who cannot attend a workshop is negotiable provided copies are later destroyed.
  • There is a discretionary surcharge per incident for transphobia arising during or as a result of a session.
  • At the moment, courses are offered privately to organizations only. It is not possible for individuals to register for workshops directly. Have your organizations be in touch with me.

Contact me for more information