DISTRICT 78 FOCUSES ON BUILDING STRONG LEADERSHIP WITH THE ADVANCED STEWARDS TRAINING

District 78 recently held an advanced stewards training led by one of its dedicated Business Representatives, Ben Osakue, on Friday 24th April 2026, at its office premises at 557 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke. This training brought together experienced stewards to deepen their skills in representation, grievance handling, and workplace advocacy. The session focused on strengthening leadership capacity, enhancing communication strategies, and equipping stewards with the tools needed to effectively defend and advance members’ rights.

The Advance Steward Training reinforced that union stewards are the backbone of the union, serving as the first point of contact and primary representatives for members. Their role requires fair and unbiased representation, strong knowledge of the collective agreement, and effective communication with both members and management. The training highlighted key principles such as resolving issues before filing grievances, maintaining control during disciplinary meetings, and following the “work now, grieve later” approach unless safety is at risk. It also stressed the importance of education, member engagement, and labour-management collaboration to ensure workplace fairness and strengthen the union overall.

Through ongoing initiatives like this, the IAM District 78, continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to investing in the education and development of its future leaders—recognizing that a well-trained, empowered membership is essential to building a stronger union and securing a better tomorrow for all members.