Learning, Leadership, and Solidarity: HSA Members Reflect on CLC Winter School
Each year, the Canadian Labour Congress’s Pacific Region Winter School provides union members from across BC the opportunity to deepen their knowledge, develop their skills, and connect with other unions. This year, HSA supported five members in attending the school through scholarships that covered registration, wage replacement travel, accommodations, meals, and dependent care.
Throughout January 12 to February 14, Tiger Ye, Karen Cherrington, Matthew Miller, Wendy Weber, and Gina Sanche spent time at Harrison Hot Springs to take part in Winter School. Winter School offers intensive 5-day courses on various labour education topics. Students generally spend their entire days studying and learning about specific issues, such as collective bargaining, facing management, and labour law, to name a few. Each member returned with a renewed sense of purpose and practical tools to strengthen their workplaces and be more involved in the broader labour movement.
Tiger Ye, a physical therapist at Penticton Regional Hospital, and Gina Sanche, a sonographer and incoming Region 9 director by way of Kootenay Lake Hospital, took part in Transforming Conflict into Union Solidarity, a course designed to help union members see disputes as opportunities for growth.
“Just being a good listener and finding common goals, those skills are invaluable,” Tiger shared. “I used to avoid conflict, but now I see it as an opportunity to work through things and make the process better.” The course provided techniques for deep listening, identifying root causes of workplace issues, and coaching individuals through conflict resolution—skills Tiger has already started using at his worksite.
Karen Cherrington, an occupational therapist at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, and Wendy Weber, a cytogenetic technologist at Victoria General Hospital, took Facing Management Effectively, a course that helps union members develop strategies to communicate and negotiate with management.
“One of my biggest takeaways was learning that filing a grievance isn’t something to be embarrassed about,” Karen explains. “Grievances are just a tool for resolving conflict; it’s a way to bring the employer and employee to an agreement.”
Through role-playing exercises, Karen and Wendy practiced analyzing workplace disputes, presenting arguments effectively, and negotiating solutions that keep workers’ rights at the forefront.
Though Wendy was initially hesitant about attending, she found Winter School to be a positive experience. “I’m not really a joiner,” she admitted. “I was nervous about going.” But by the end of the week, she was fully engaged in both the educational and social aspects of Winter School.
“The energy in the room was just amazing,” Wendy recalled.
Matthew Miller, a sonographer at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and newly elected Region 1 director, took Parliamentary Procedure and Public Speaking to refine his leadership skills. The two-part course taught attendees how to run effective meetings using parliamentary rules and how to speak persuasively in different formats, such as conventions, debates, and impromptu gatherings.
“As someone stepping into a governance role, I wanted to make sure I had the communication skills to be an effective advocate for our members,” Matthew said. “Beyond the skills, what really stood out to me was the networking: meeting people from different unions, hearing their struggles, and realizing how much we all have in common.”
HSA is committed to supporting members to be more involved in the labour movement, and Winter School provides a learning ground for labour education to face challenges head-on. “I feel so fortunate that HSA made this opportunity possible for me,” Karen said. “It was incredibly well-organized, and I learned so much that I can apply in my worksite every day.”
Tiger echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how much he gained from meeting union activists of all stripes. “I met a ferry captain, a lighthouse worker, a police officer… people from industries I’d never interacted with before. But at the end of the day, our struggles are all so similar,” he said.
For Wendy, Winter School reaffirmed the importance of union involvement. “Before I got involved, I didn’t realize how much power we have when we came together.”
Each of the five HSA members who attended Winter School returned to their worksites with a stronger understanding of their rights, new strategies for advocacy, and a deeper sense of solidarity. As Matthew puts it, “I would highly recommend HSA members take part in Winter School, and I’m so grateful that there was a comprehensive scholarship opportunity.”
If you’re an HSA member interested in taking part in the 2026 Canadian Labour Congress’s Winter School, you can apply for a scholarship by completing an online application on our HSABC Events website. The 2026 Winter School Scholarship, when it opens, will be listed under ‘Other Events’. In past years, the deadline to apply for a scholarship has been in mid-November. To ensure you don’t miss out, register to receive emails from HSA by visiting the footer on our website.