Workplace Representative - Mentorship Program

Purpose

Workplace Representatives (WPRs) play a crucial role in representing and advocating for the rights of AMAPCEO members. The Workplace Representative Mentor provides guidance, support and advice to WPRs who are newly trained. The Mentor has a vital leadership role in ensuring members receive the best possible service related to workplace issues and disputes.

A strong mentoring program will benefit the Mentor, the Mentee and the Union as a whole over time. Mentoring, in the context of being a WPR at AMAPCEO, is an effective method of helping inexperienced individuals develop and progress.

This policy outlines the intent of the Workplace Representative (WPR) - Mentorship Program, its parameters and oversight. This policy codifies the recruitment responsibilities, appointment/reappointment process, as well as the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for AMAPCEO WPR Mentors and Mentees.

Policy

1. Authority

The objectives of the WPR Mentorship Program are multi-faceted. First and foremost, to provide new Mentees with a peer Mentor who can assist them with their growth as a WPR. Secondly, to improve the capacity of our veteran WPRs by supporting them in a leadership role as a Mentor.

Since 2016, upon completion of core training, Mentees have been provided a Mentor for up to a 1-year period. As new Workplace Representatives they may utilize their relationship with their Mentor to the degree they desire, and the Mentor can accommodate.

Given the importance of WPRs, those chosen to support new WPRs must be committed to AMAPCEO’s collaborative and co-operative approach to problem-solving and dispute resolution.

Consequently, it is understood that being appointed, and possibly reappointed, as a WPR Mentor is not a right of every AMAPCEO WPR but, rather, is a privilege granted under this policy.

Moreover, this policy gives AMAPCEO the sole discretion to determine if a WPR should be appointed or reappointed as an WPR Mentor.

Recognizing the importance and contribution of WPR Mentors and WPRs, AMAPCEO commits, to the best of its ability, to provide the necessary support, training, resources, and recognition to its WPR Mentors.

2. Meeting Frequency

WPR Mentors shall endeavour to meet with their assigned Mentees at least once a quarter. This may be done through variable forms of communication to elicit interpretation, experience, or best practice advice. And, this may include shared or shadowed case oversight, in-person or via remote meeting.

3. Term of Appointment

Each Mentor will have an appointment term of up to three (3) years. Appointments will be staggered according to when the Mentor was appointed and the timing of their WPR Renewal.

4. Eligibility Criteria for Appointment and Appointment Renewal

Appointment

Only active WPRs can be appointed, or reappointed, as a WPR Mentor. Mentors should be strong WPRs in their own right. This includes being knowledgeable of collective agreement content and being capable of demonstrating best practice advocacy. They should be a positive communicator who can patiently and honestly mentor and evaluate the performance of their assigned Mentee(s). They should have a degree of availability that permits at least a modest amount of contact between them and their mentees.

For consideration as a Mentor, a WPR must have taken the following courses, or commit to undertake to take them within a year of being appointed a WPR Mentor:

• Two (2) Advanced WPR Courses (Interest-Based Approaches to Problem-Solving and Dealing with Difficult Behaviours)
• One of the WPR Mental Health courses (offered annually at the WPR Conference) OR, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) offered through the (OPS) workplace

Once appointed, Mentors will receive foundational Mentorship training.

Although a Board District Director may be appointed as a WPR Mentor, Board District Directors will not be sought out to take on this role. 

Appointment Renewal

Each Mentor is eligible for a renewal of their appointment for a further 3-year term following the review of their WPR appointment. During the WPR renewal of their appointment process, WPR Mentors will be asked to confirm their willingness and ability to continue to serve as a Mentor beyond their current term.

An alternative to not renewing an appointment is to provide a one-year extension of the appointment with a possible requirement for additional instruction or training.

5. Program Oversight – Mentor Recruitment and Appointment Process 

The Vice-President (VP) shall be the Board of Directors designee. They will be responsible for ensuring program success through the acquisition and maintenance of a Mentor roster and through ongoing assignment of Mentors and Trainees.

The VP will establish effective working relationships with AMAPCEO’s Education Officers and the Team Lead for Dispute Resolution, to ensure successfully matching, and ongoing mentee and mentor support.

Mentor Recruitment

The VP will liaise with Dispute Resolution staff, Education staff, Member Engagement (ME) staff, District Directors, and the President/CEO to identify WPRs as potential Mentors. Recruitment may involve word of mouth references, email callouts or in-person recruitment by the VP, President/CEO or ME staff. Lastly, individual WPRs may submit their name to the VP for consideration with the VP exercising their discretion (based on needs and suitability) as to if/when to bring that member’s name forward.

AMAPCEO will make efforts to grow its Mentor diversity in relation to the following demographics: District, community, bargaining unit and for any other demonstrated need. AMAPCEO will maintain a matrix of Mentors that overlays diversity in order to identify gaps and to promote ongoing recruitment of Mentors.

Appointment Process

The Workplace Relations Committee shall be the Board of Directors designee for Mentor approval purposes. The Vice-President, as overseer, and as member of the Executive Committee shall report regularly to the Board on the status of the Mentor roster and on the approval of any new Mentors.

Three times per calendar year, the Vice-President, or their designee, will make a written recommendation to the Workplace Relations Committee on the appointment of new WPR Mentors should be appointed or reappointed if there is a need for either new Mentors or to renew a Mentor’s term.

In appointing WPR Mentors, the Workplace Relations Committee will make best efforts to ensure that WPR Mentors represent the diversity of the AMAPCEO membership as a whole.

Those WPRs who are not approved will be afforded a written rationale for the decision, however, there will be no form of appeal.

The appointment decisions of the Workplace Relations committee are final and cannot be appealed to another body.

The Board of Directors will be informed of the Mentor appointments/reappointments at the next regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting.

6. Main Roles and Responsibilities

The keys to establishing a successful mentoring relationship include creating a relationship of trust, clearly defining roles and responsibilities, establishing short- and long-term goals, using open and supportive communication, and collaboratively solving problems.

WPR Mentors

Approved Mentors are expected to support up to two new Workplace Representative Mentees at any given time, however, a Mentor may be asked to take on more than two Mentees. Mentoring involvement may vary based on the needs of Mentee and the time limitations of the Mentor. Mentor/Mentee relationships may be in the same bargaining unit, cross bargaining units, within geographic proximity or by remote connection, recognizing that best matching options may not always be available.

The main roles and responsibilities of a Mentor include:

• Providing peer support and encouragement to help each Mentee build confidence, including brainstorming strategies to address obstacles that the Mentee identifies;
• Providing tips and advice on the role of the WPR, basic labour relations information, negotiations, dealing with difficult behaviours, and how to best handle certain workplace problems or disputes based on their own experiences, where appropriate;
• Allowing Mentees to shadow them at meetings with a complainant and/or management representative, as well as shadowing Mentees in such meetings;
• Handing over some of their dispute workload to a Mentee as a learning opportunity while providing any necessary oversight/support;
• Establishing regular check-in meetings with their Mentees, as well as attending teleconferences with a Mentee, Workplace Advisor, complainant, and/or management representative, as requested;
• Creating a spirit of openness and trust during the mentorship period;
• Giving and receiving feedback in an appropriate and respectful way;
• Formally evaluating the Mentee(s) at the end of the Mentee(s)’s mentorship; and
• Helping Mentees identify additional training and educational needs.

WPR Mentees

The main roles and responsibilities of a Mentees include:

• Taking responsibility for their own progress and intentionally committing the time and effort necessary to get the most possible out of the relationship;
• Communicating with the Mentor about the areas in which they want to develop and grow;
• Remaining open to learning from the Mentor by responding promptly to their e-mails or phone calls, following the Mentor suggestions, and listening to the information the Mentor shares about their own background and experiences;
• Following the mentoring plan by keeping scheduled appointments and completing work on time; and,
• Openly evaluating progress and setbacks.

7. Revocation of an Appointment

The Workplace Relations Committee has the authority to review and revoke a WPR Mentor appointment at any time during their term in situations where there has been an allegation and clear evidence of:

• Inappropriate behavior or misconduct directed towards a WPR mentee, or towards staff; or
• An inability and/or unwillingness to perform the duties and responsibilities of an WPR Mentor.

An alternative to revoking an appointment is a continuation of the appointment with a requirement for additional instruction and/or training.

8. Appeal Procedure for Revocation of an Appointment

The following appeal procedure will be followed when a decision is made to revoke an appointment prior to the end of the representative’s term:

1. The affected WPR Mentor will be given written notice of the decision, and their right to appeal this decision to the Executive Committee.
2. Should the affected WPR Mentor indicate their desire to appeal the decision, they will be given an opportunity to attend a future Executive Committee meeting to make a statement on why their appointment should continue or why they should be reappointed.
3. The Executive Committee’s discussion of the matter and its vote shall be held in camera, without the affected WPR Mentor being present. Before voting on the Appeal, the Executive Committee may, at its discretion, seek additional written documentation from others, including their Mentees (current and/or former), assigned AMAPCEO staff, and other activists who may have knowledge of the affected representative’s activist activities.
4. Following consideration of the affected representative’s appeal, the Executive Committee has the option of reversing the Workplace Relations Committee’s decision OR upholding the decision to revoke.
5. A written decision will be communicated by the Secretary to the affected WPR Mentor in a timely manner after the decision is made. The decision of the Executive Committee is final and is not subject to any further appeal.

The appeal decision, however, can only be re-opened, and potentially be overturned, by the Executive Committee should the Executive Committee be persuaded, by a two-thirds majority vote, that there has been a procedural irregularity in the handling of the decision or that there is new evidence to consider that was not available at the time of the decision.

A member who has had their appointment revoked, may not be considered to become a WPR Mentor for at least 24 months from the date of the decision.