UFCW Twenty Four Seven

Education Committee

Sharon Baillie

I have been a member of local 247 and employed with Canada Safeway for 20 years. I have been a Shop Steward for about 15 of those years as well as on the Health & Safety Committee for about 7 years. The last two years I have had the opportunity to be a part of forming the collective agreement, including being on the negotiating committee. This also gave me the opportunity to be a part of the BC Federation conference held in November 2008. During this time I was informed of and encouraged to join the Education Committee at our Training Centre. I have only joined the Education Committee this year (2009), but my goal is to reach out to other members. We have a great facility and I hope I can help to continue bringing great programs to our members.

Tima Burgess

I am the Coordinator of Membership Programs here at the UFCW 247’s Training Centre. Previously, I was with Superstore for 16 years in the front end, where I was a shop steward, on the health & safety committee, and started taking courses at the Training Centre. I was very impressed with the courses, and learned new skills and confidence that changed my life. I wanted to inform and educate my fellow members of what is available and possible, to share my experience, so I joined the education committee. I have now been on the education committee for 5 years.

I am a Train the Trainer graduate, and Union Counsellor. I now have the great pleasure in training fellow members as shop stewards as well as receive input and feedback from members to help coordinate and offer the courses and workshops they wish to have available.

I welcome hearing from you and all your ideas/suggestions. Please also let me know if you wish to find out more about our education committee, or if you would like to attend one of our meetings as a guest.

mailto:tburgess@ufcw247.ca or 604-523-5421

Nolan Eddy

Nolan has been with the UFCW 247 Training Centre since 1993 and has been involved in Adult Education for more than 22 years. He helped to organize the first membership education committee and has been an active member since the first meeting in 1998. He enjoys meeting with membership representatives and encourages all members to provide feedback and input on the activities of the Training Centre.

Nolan has a certificate in Community Economic Development, and a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from SFU. He currently develops and implements community outreach programs for the Training Centre.

Maxine Keeping

My name is Maxine Keeping, I have worked at Superstore for 18 years, 15 years in Coquitlam, and now in Pitt Meadows at the Customer Service desk. I have been a shop steward and on the health & safety committee for 10 years or more. I became involved with the education committee about 7 years ago when I started taking computer courses and was invited to attend a meeting as a guest. I was impressed. I met a group of people that were passionate about the same things I was. It is exciting to get together with a group of people and listen to the ideas fly. Since then, both my family and myself have taken advantage of and taken several computer courses, sign language, Spanish, Train the Trainer, Safe Boating, and even Belly Dancing at little or no cost. I have even taught a class myself and look forward to teaching some more classes in the future. Who knows, maybe you will be in one of them soon.

Johnny Khakh

Hi my name is Johnny Khakh, I work at Westfair Foods. I started in 1995 and I am still working there.

I have done many jobs at the warehouse and I continue to learn how to do more and more each day. I am also a shop steward and I am on the Executive Board a Vice President for the Union.

I have volunteered as an education committee member at our Training Centre for the past 3 years and I like the fact that I have been a part in the discussion and decision making on what classes we should have.

Dean Patriquin

I am the Director of Training here at Local 247. We run Government sponsored and Membership programs at four centres across B.C. I have been a member of UFCW since 1986. I became active with the Union soon after as a shop steward which led me to several opportunities, such as; negotiation committee, organizing, strikes, executive board and Federal, Provincial and Civic elections. I was then hired by the International Union as a Representative and assisted locals across Canada before I was hired by Local 777 (Local’s 777 and 2000 merged to become 247)

Through the years by my own experience and witnessing others develop better skills offered by the Training Centres I took a vested interest in making education a large part of the Local. We have developed many programs over the years to cater to a wide range of interests, from computers, languages, financial, certificate courses, photography, personal development and any other course that would help with life long learning. Where our members do not have access to one of our buildings we have on line courses with more coming this year with co-operation from the National office.

I look forward to many more years of meeting and hearing from fellow members with their suggestions of what they would like to see offered from us.

Nancy Randel

I am an employee of Canada Safeway. I became involved with the Training Centre as a member of the education committee and it has been a very positive experience for me.

I have taken courses and that instilled confidence in me to take further courses outside the Training Centre and became a member of the RCMP Victim Services. I am also a Train the Trainer graduate.

I would never have believed that I could do that at the age of 57 without the support of the Training Centre. Now I am 64, and I am still learning.

Shona Smith

I am a member of UFCW 247 and employed by Canada Safeway, currently in the Maple Ridge Store. I have been involved with the Training Centre for a number of years now.

I first started thinking about lifelong learning when we went out on strike in 1996 and wondered what I could do with my future. I realized that many of us were totally unprepared for the ever changing “technological” world out there should we have to find work or even in every day life.

That inspired me to become active in the Training Centre and become an education committee member, student, and Instructor. We have a strong belief in “members helping members”. I teach computer classes and the occasional craft class and hope that I have helped my brothers and sisters of UFCW 247 and their families, face the daunting world of technology with their heads held high and confidence in their hearts.

I hope to see many of you in the Training Centre enjoying all that we have to offer, because after all, it is your Training Centre as well.

Dawn Stevenson
	My name is Dawn Stevenson. I currently work at Real Canadian Superstore, store #1521, and have been with the Company for over 13 years. This past year I became a shop steward and I also joined the education committee to get more involved, I have met some great people! Why not check out some of the great courses offered!!!