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NSGEU Bully-Free Workplace program celebrates second anniversary

“The goal for us as a union is to make workplaces better and healthier for our members and for workers in general." - Joan Jessome, NSGEU President.

poster entitled NSGEU Bully-Free WorkplacesHalifax (10 Sept. 2012 )– Saturday, September 8 marked the second anniversary of the Nova Scotia Government & General Employees Union’s (NSGEU/NUPGE) popular and successful Bully-Free Workplaces Program.

The program was formally launched in 2010 and was developed by the facilitators and NSGEU/NUPGE staff to help our members and their employers identify and stop workplace bullying. The program is available to union and non-union participants who are either employees or managers/supervisors.

“Since our launch in September 2010 we have held 345 sessions with over 8,000 participants and demand continues to grow,” reports Joan Jessome, NSGEU President. “The goal for us as a union is to make workplaces better and healthier for our members and for workers in general. We would like to shift workplace culture right across the province and the Maritimes.”

“I wish to express our sincere appreciation for your efforts in coordinating the Bully-Free Awareness workshops for our entire organization. Eight hundred of our 1,100 employees participated in the workshops. There has already been a significant impact in our organization as a result of this new knowledge.” Alice Leverman, former CEO, South Shore Health.

The program continues to evolve as the union responds to the growing needs of participants and employers. The program now qualifies as a Continuing Education Credit. The Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC) and the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) have partnered with the union to develop an on-line training program. Aware-NS has also partnered with the union and will be launching an on-line training component through their virtual campus.

“The Bully-Free Workplaces program has been recognized at national and international conferences,” Jessome says. “We have seen first-hand that our program is breaking new ground not only in the Maritimes, not only in Canada, but in the world with initiatives like our new Restorative Workplace Practices approach and our continued standard of program delivery and evaluation. We are very excited about this program and pleased that it is working and making a difference to those who complete it.”

2012 Participants in Bully-Free Workplaces Program

Although priority is given to NSGEU/NUPGE members, the union is committed to delivering the program to any employer who requests the program at little or no cost.

The program has been recognized both nationally and internationally by the International Institute for Restorative Practices, at the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology, the Canadian Evaluation Society, and the 8th International Conference on Workplace Bullying and Harassment.

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE