Graduation Date

Hi Dears,

Deal is sealed. I declared my graduation month this morning. There's no turning back.

I also registered for my summer courses. God is awesome. May his mercy continue to flow.

Much Love..keep reading! xx

Unpaid Internship

Hey Dears,

As I mentioned briefly on my previous posts that i was doing a work placement at Canada Post. 

So I will talk about this placement today. 

Basically, I was fortunate to be part of the placement program. Usually, the Labour studies Department under the Faculty of Arts, offers an opportunity to participate in this program once in every two years. So this is what happens, the co-coordinators place you at a workplace and you have to learn from that workplace while reporting daily to your professor. I find this course a learning experiencing with real life applications. You also have to write a research paper on the project you choose to work on. The course is called LABR4510 and LABR4520. The course also includes a seminar class where you discuss all your coursework and guide you in your writing skills. You do not get paid however you do get credit hours for it.

So, I was placed in a crown corporation-Canada Post. For my fall semester, I worked with Occupational Health and Safety Department where I job shadowed the supervisors. I conducted workplace inspections, daily management meetings, observing how employees do their tasks and whether they apply safety measures and so many other duties that you could think of a safety officer would perform. I was lucky to have seen how safety officers work both outside the plant and inside the plant. At the end of the term placement,  i worked on a safety campaign project on how to deal with stress at the workplace. My project was titled "wellness from stress". In addition, I also had to come up on a safety action plan.

As for the winter semester, I am working with the Labour Relations Officers (LRO) . I worked with Anitha who introduced me to the grievance system, John Sharpe who introduced me into LRO duties, John Dawson and I went deeper into analyzing grievances and I having a review on them then Hannah and I worked mainly on the arbitration process,from the start to the end. Well, it was good and bad that an arbitration hearing was cancelled because we resolved all the files. 

Last week, I just presented my project on "Duty to accommodate on the basis of family status". I'm hoping to attend an arbitration hearing on March 14th if the hearing goes through. 

Overall, I think this work placement is what makes my program unique and special. The fact that Labour studies has this kind of program is a plus plus for a university student like me who is just at the university to get an education and enter the job market and "maybe" go further to specialize. Otherwise, I would recommend this program to anyone so long as they know what they will do with it. You can branch into Law school after or go on with the Human resource side. With me? I don't know what is laying ahead but all i know for now is that i'll be done this year and enter the world of work.

Jobs

Hey Dears,

Today's post will feature some Labour Related jobs.
I am sure most people do not know what you could do with a Labour Studies degree.Well, at the end of the day, with a LS/LR degree, your knowledge will be around these issues: (judging from the courses you take)

-The Canadian Labour movement

-Working for a Living

-Political economy of Labour

-Employees, Employers and the State

-Labour Law

-Employment Law

-Workplace Health and Safety

-Pensions & Benefits

-Worker's self management

-Globalization and Labour

-Negotiations and Bargaining

-Working class and Labour history

-The skills and knowledge from the field placement.

Here are some jobs you could utilise: Be it in a Gov't position, NGO, private businesses, Union...

-Worker Advocate

-Employment Standard Officer

-Health and Safety Officer

-Human Rights Investigator

-Human Resource Manager

-Labour Relations Board Officer

-Workers Compensation Board caseworker

-Worker Advisor

-Legislative Assistant

-Policy Researcher

-Union Representative

-Union organizer

-Labour Lawyer

PS: My University,-UofM- helps students to attend Mel Myers Labour conference each year. This is a way of networking. You never who you meet and what the person can do for you. Well, I attended last year's Mel Myers Labour conference which had over 350 people. I'm also fortunate to be attending this years conference on March 20 and 21st at Victoria Inn. I am looking forward to interact with like minded people!

International Womens Day 2014

Hey dears,

So I celebrated my "Wanawake Day" at the bud,spud and steak event that was put on by the women's committee from Manitoba Federation of Labour, with proceeds going to women's memorial fund. I was not alone but with my friend Lidet. We enjoyed the night and we had some many proud moments of being a woman. We ended the night at Double D's cheesecake!

So, this years International Womens Day slogan is "Inspiring change". May we live by it. 

Pick for yourself :)

Some nice prizes though we didnt win ;)

                                                         The food was tres deliciuex

                                                            My ticket :)

Moi :)

                                                                               Lidet :)

The end xx