What is union leadership development? Why is it important? What programs are being offered? What training should union leaders be doing?
These are the questions that drive this web site project.
It was conceived out of concern that Canadian unions often define leadership development narrowly. Most focus their attention on building the labour relations skills of local activists.
This project defines trade union leadership more broadly as a range of programs and measures to expand the capacity of labour leaders so that they can help expand the collective capacity and power of the labour movement to make progressive change.
This project puts emphasis on resources and tools for the development of union leaders in senior executive positions, as well as full-time union staff leaders who have responsibility for directing programs and other staff. This area of ledership development is often neglected, perhaps because it is assumed these leaders already know everything they need to know.
Leading unions is becoming increasingly complex and challenging. The globalization of our economy, the increasing marginalization of a growing number of groups, and the weakening of the labour movement's numbers and bargaining power are having an enormous impact on the movement's ability to make gains.
The capacity and power of the movement has to grow to push back against the attacks. We need to find ways to get better organized and do more organizing. We need to embrace the growing diversity of the membership and our communities. Union leadership development has a role to play.
Perhaps this project can serve as a catalyst for discussion about who is doing what, what is working and what is not, what kind of leadership do we want to develop within the movement and can we do more of it together as a movement to avoid duplication of effort and resources.